Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Omer Tishler said the entire IAF was poised to launch a major strike on hundreds of targets deep inside Iran, and was halted just one hour before takeoff while still briefing pilots. The revelation provides the most senior on-record confirmation of a previously reported operation that was frozen at the political level.
Commander of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), Major General Omer Tishler, disclosed in a statement that the entire air arm was prepared to launch a major strike on Iran — a massive sortie targeting hundreds of sites deep inside Iranian territory — and that the operation was called off just one hour before the scheduled takeoff, while commanders were still briefing aircrews in their squadrons.
Tishler's account provides the most senior, on-record confirmation of a strike plan that has been widely reported in recent days. According to earlier reports covered by The Zioneer, the operation was reportedly halted by the political echelon after an intervention by U.S. President Donald Trump via social media. The IAF chief's description matches those reports in detail: hundreds of targets, a timeline of hours, and a freeze while crews were already in the briefing room.
The disclosure underscores the advanced state of readiness that has characterized the current round of confrontation with Iran. The IAF has been on high operational footing, conducting preemptive and retaliatory strikes, while the Home Front Command maintained elevated alert levels across Israel. Tishler's statement, however, goes further than any previous official acknowledgment in describing the scale and imminence of this planned offensive.
No explanation was provided for why the commander chose to reveal the near-operation now, and no details were offered about whether the strike package has been revived or shelved definitively. The account remains a single-source, first-person statement by the ranking officer; as such it is reported with high confidence in the quote's authenticity but without independent corroboration of operational specifics.
2 developments
- StrongIsrael reportedly planned major airstrike on Iran, halted by Trump tweet
- DevelopingIsrael reportedly prepared a major Air Force strike on Iran in recent hours
- DevelopingSenior Israeli official says forces were at peak readiness for Iran strike before Trump call
- DevelopingLarge US military air movement suggests new wave of strikes on Iran may be imminent
Source and signal
- Internal intake