Israel Proclaims Total Air Superiority Over Iranian Capital Area As War Intensifies

Overnight has seen the continual trading of tit-for-tat missile salvos between Israel and Iran, with Israeli fighter jets busy over western Iran, where they've claimed to have achieved complete domination of the skies after taking out anti-aircraft missile batteries.

Images of large-scale destruction have emerged from both capitals, with Israeli authorities saying at least four citizens have been killed - though casualty figures could be much higher amid an ongoing emergency response - and Iran says Israeli attacks have killed at least 78, including women and children, and wounded over 320 others.

Israel has shared footage of successful aerial attacks on Iran's ballistic missile launchers in some cases, while the IDF has announced that 70 Israeli Air Force fighter jets participated in the overnight operation in Tehran to establish "aerial freedom of action" over the Iranian capital.

Some 40 sites were targeted, including air defense systems, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin has said. Israeli jets were able to fly over and around the capital for some two-and-half hours.

"The dozens of aircraft are flying freely over Tehran, thanks to the opening blow that removed the threat of Iranian air defense systems," he declared. Characterizing this as the deepest operation the Israeli Air Force (IAF) has ever been involved in over Iran, he announced:

"Tehran is no longer immune; the capital is exposed to Israeli strikes."

Israeli jets have yet to strike all of Iran's nuclear facilities, and Prime Minister Netanyahu has warned that this could continue for several days more. There is serious damage reported at Natanz nuclear site. There have been conflicting reports over whether there is any radiation or chemical contamination at the site.

Some sections of the Isfahan site have been damaged, the IDF has said, while the other key site of Fordo has yet to be targeted.

Important, Israel says that nine nuclear scientists have been killed as a result of Friday aerial operations. Clearly Israel is going for leadership decapitation of military and nuclear programs.

Impact scene from Tel Aviv:

Still, even with Iran's military capabilities now being steadily degraded, the Islamic Republic has to some degree shown it can regroup and hit back. Israeli media has described a state of panic on the streets, and in some cases residential areas have been demolished:

Israelis on Saturday described the fear, chaos and confusion as several Iranian missiles slammed into houses and apartments in central Israel overnight, causing widespread destruction, killing three people and wounding dozens.

Warning sirens sent millions of people rushing for safe rooms and bomb shelters as Iran fired several waves of missiles in response to Israeli strikes on its military leadership and nuclear program. While the IDF said most were intercepted, several missiles — apparently armed with large explosive warheads — slammed into homes in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan and Rishon Lezion.

“We shut the door, started watching the news through the computer, and suddenly there was a boom so loud that the whole building teetered,” Tali Horesh, resident of a Tel Aviv high-rise that was hit Friday night, told the Ynet news site.

Meanwhile President Trump has been nowhere to be seen, and certainly hasn't faced reporters' questions on where the United States stands in all this.

Is Israel committed to full war for regime change in Iran at this point?

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