The IDF revealed Wednesday that elite Israeli commandos operated inside Iran during the recent military campaign — executing classified missions that helped cripple Tehran’s missile capabilities and secure Israeli dominance over Iranian skies. Speaking in a video address, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir detailed the unprecedented scope of Israel’s shadow war with Iran — and, for the first time, publicly acknowledged that the IDF deployed ground and air commando units deep within enemy territory. “These forces operated covertly in the heart of Iran,” Zamir said. “Their actions were instrumental in creating operational freedom of action for the IDF — both in the skies and on the ground — at any time and place of our choosing.” The revelation reveals a major expansion of what was previously understood to be primarily a bombing campaign. While Israel’s initial strikes focused on Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure, Zamir’s statement suggests the operation also included boots-on-the-ground sabotage, deception, and direct intelligence gathering — the hallmarks of elite reconnaissance missions carried out under total secrecy. It remains unclear whether Zamir was referencing operations carried out by Mossad, which reportedly helped disable Iranian air defenses using drone strikes launched from within Iran early in the campaign, or whether the statement points to previously undisclosed IDF special forces actions. What is clear is that the mission, codenamed “Im K’Lavi” (“Like a Lion”), involved extensive planning, intelligence deception, and real-time coordination between air and ground forces. Zamir emphasized that it was “thanks to full coordination and deception by air and ground commando forces” that Israel was able to achieve air superiority and destroy hundreds of Iranian missile launchers. “This wasn’t a precision strike — it was a full-spectrum disruption,” he said. “We didn’t just hit a facility. We shattered their system.” Evidence of the mission’s intensity has begun to surface in small, censored fragments. One Israeli woman revealed on X that her family had been asked to pray for a relative — a member of the Israeli Air Force’s commando unit — who was reportedly on the ground in Iran when the operation launched. The post, drafted on June 13, was held back by military censors and only released today following Zamir’s remarks. “With the heart of a lion,” she wrote, attaching an Israeli flag emoji. “We were told to pray for him. He was there.” Zamir described the operation as a turning point not just in this war — but in the balance of regional power. “We caused significant damage to Iran’s missile forces,” he said. “Hundreds of launchers were eliminated. Their force build-up has been delayed by years.” He further claimed that Israeli intelligence now possesses technological and aerial superiority over Iran — an extraordinary statement given the country’s vast terrain and hardened military installations. The IDF’s assessment, he said, is that Israel’s campaign dealt a systemic blow to Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure — not just a tactical one. “This was not a pinpoint strike,” he said. “This was strategic. And it succeeded.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)