The Israeli military said today that it had taken control of the airspace over Tehran and destroyed a third of Iran's surface-to-surface missile launch sites, as the death toll rose on the fourth day of the conflict between the two regional powers, DPA reported, BTA reported.
Military spokeswoman Effie Defrin said that more than 50 Israeli fighter jets and precision missiles were involved in strikes last night, targeting and destroying more than 120 Iranian launch sites. He said missile depots and production facilities were also hit.
According to Defrin, Iran fired 65 missiles and dozens of drones at Israel last night, which he said was only about half of what the Iranian armed forces had intended to launch.
“We have thwarted a significant portion of the planned attack“, he said. “We can now say that we have established total air superiority in the skies over Tehran“, the spokesman added.
Defrin reiterated that the primary goal of the operation was to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and long-range missiles. He said the strikes would now be extended further east into Iran. "We still have difficult days ahead, but we will overcome them together and we will win," Defrin added.
Meanwhile, Tehran residents are leaving the capital en masse. Witnesses reported traffic jams on highways in the city of 15 million. Queues stretching for kilometers have formed outside some gas stations. In other parts of the city, the streets are unusually quiet.
The capital's Grand Bazaar, the largest market in Tehran, remained closed today amid continued Israeli air strikes, AFP reported.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel had no intention of deliberately harming Tehran residents, clarifying comments earlier in the day that "Tehran residents will pay the price – and soon“, Reuters reported.
“I want to make the obvious clear – there is no intention to deliberately harm the people of Tehran, as the bloodthirsty dictator does to the people of Israel“, Katz said. “The people of Tehran will have to pay the price for the dictatorship and evacuate their homes from areas where it will be necessary to attack regime targets and security infrastructure in Tehran“, he added.