Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force has completed the first phase of its missile and drone offensive operations, according to the semi-official Mehr News agency. The IRGC highlighted the dispersion of launch origins and the comprehensiveness of the target bank as key operational innovations in the first phase of tonight's operation.
The IRGC Aerospace Force late Thursday announced the completion of the first phase of its missile and drone offensive, citing the geographic dispersion of launch points and the breadth of the target bank as tactical innovations, according to the semi-official Mehr News agency. The announcement follows an evening during which the IRGC claimed a 'first wave of missiles' targeting Gulf states (reported by The Zioneer at 21:10 UTC) and earlier placed its missile units on operational readiness, with an unidentified source assessing that a major operation—possibly 'The Promise That Came True'—could begin imminently (The Zioneer, 21:35 UTC). The IRGC had also declared a 'decisive direct response' against the enemy after confirmed US strikes on Iranian territory (The Zioneer, 22:46 UTC).
The thread of reports this evening began with initial, unconfirmed accounts of US strikes on Iran (21:10 UTC). Within minutes, multiple sources confirmed the strikes, with Israeli officials reporting that Israel was on alert and preparing for Iranian retaliation (21:10 UTC). Local Iranian media then reported strikes across southern Iran (21:10 UTC), and a senior US official confirmed the strikes had begun (21:10 UTC). Reports of Iranian missile and drone launches toward Gulf states followed, with air defenses activated near the Assaluyeh gas complex and a missile launch reported from the Tabriz area. The IRGC then officially claimed responsibility for a 'first wave' of launches (21:10 UTC). The progression of corroboration moved from single, unverified accounts to multiple independent sources, including official confirmation from a US official.
As The Zioneer reported earlier, the IRGC had placed its missile units on operational readiness and issued escalating threats, including a 'significant response' vow on June 9 and a 'decisive direct response' on June 10, following confirmed US strikes. The IRGC also released footage of solid- and liquid-fueled missile launches earlier on June 10, and claimed an attack on the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain (The Zioneer, 07:07 UTC June 10). These developments are set against a wider context of confirmed US strikes on Iranian radar and air defense sites, and large-scale US military air movements in the region.
What remains unclear is the scope of targets struck in the first phase, whether the offensive is continuing into subsequent phases, and the extent of any damage or casualties. The IRGC's claim of a 'first wave of missiles' earlier in the evening was not independently corroborated at the time.
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