Click to see full-size image. (Israeli Defense Forces)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on June 15 that it had destroyed a refueling aircraft of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) at Mashhad Airport in the northeast of Iran.
The military described the attack on Mashhad Airport, located some 2,300 kilometers away from Israel, as the “most distant strike since the beginning of the operation” in Iran.
“The Air Force is working to achieve air superiority throughout Iran,” the military said in a brief statement.
Video footage from Mashhad showed a large fire rising from the airport. According to Iranian media, the airport’s buildings and runway were not damaged.
The IRIAF possesses three KC-707 and three KC-747 refueling aircraft. It is unclear, however, how many of these aging aircraft are in an operational condition.
While the IDF implied that the fighter jets of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck the tanker in Mashhad Airport, it is very possible that the attack was carried out by the Mossad spy agency.
Mossad commandos have reportedly been operating on Iranian territories, using loitering munitions and guided missiles, since the start of the Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, codenamed Operation Rising Lion, on June 13.
As the IAF claims aerial superiority over western Iran and the capital, Tehran, the IRIAF has so far remained out of the picture.
Hamadan, Tabriz and other key air bases of the IRIAF, where some of the air force’s most capable fighter jets like Soviet-made MiG-29s are known to be deployed, have already been struck. However, the IDF has not yet announced the destruction of any fighter jets.
There is doubt that Israel’s opening strikes, which were mainly carried out by Mossad commandos, have dealt a heavy blow to Iran’s air defense network. While the Islamic Republic’s offensive capabilities have already recovered, defensive measures are yet to come back to action. It may be just a matter of time, however.
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