WhatsappIn an amazing feet, Israel proves it continues to own Iran’s skies after it was reported that Israeli aircraft struck the airport in Mashhad, 2,300km from Israel. The strike included a refueling tanker before it had a chance to launch – further cementing the IAF’s air superiority.
Controlling Iran’s skies is key to not only degrading their nuclear program, but taking out their immediate and long term ballistic missile threat as well. This is critical in order to slow down the ballistic missile barrages that have been hammering Israel. Just last night 8 Israelis were killed in a barrage that had direct hits in Petach Tikva, Haifa, and Bnei Brak. 24 Israelis have been killed since Iran began shooting barrages of ballistic missiles at Israel.
The IDF Spokesperson summarizes three days of operations in Iran: “A third of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers have been destroyed. Last night, 20 ballistic missiles were destroyed before they could be launched at Israel. The Iranians launched only half the number of missiles they had planned thanks to the IDF’s strikes.”
If the IAF can keep up with its destruction of ballistic missile launchers, it won’t matter how many ballistic missiles the Iranian regime has left if they have no means to launch them. Taking away the ballistic missile threat is key to lower the pressure on Israel’s home front. Achieving this will afford Israel time to finish off the regime and ultimately end the nuclear threat once and for all.
Why Is Mashaad Airstrike Important?
Mashaad is located near the Turkmenistan and Afghanistan borders and is the farthest place reached by Israel’s air force. Why is this important? Reports have indicated that Pakistan may supply Iran with Shaheen-III medium-range ballistic missiles if the current conflict between Iran and Israel continues to escalate. While the Pakstani border with Iran is southeast of Mashaad, the idea that the IAF can hit anywhere in Iran is about sending a message to others like Paksitan – “Do not get involved.”
Pakistan has in fact closed its border with Iran – perhaps they got the message.
With Israel’s air superiority strengthening, time is not on the Iranian regime’s side. True, ballistic missiles continue to slam into Israel, but like the Six Day War in 1967, when Israel destroyed the Egyptian air force in a preemptive strike, the rest of the war was about Israel’s will to finish. Here too, now that Israel has control over Iran’s skies – it is now about Israel’s will to finish the job. Israel looks like it has the will to finish. Now it just needs time.
