The commander of Israel’s Air Force Squadron 107, identified as Lt. Col. A, has revealed details about the intense preparation and high-stakes execution of a massive air operation over Iran.

Speaking to Ynet after the mission, Lt. Col. A described how, toward the end of 2024, senior military leadership decided to take the fight directly to Iranian territory with a large-scale offensive. But only hours before the green light was issued did he fully grasp what lay ahead.

“We’ve been preparing for missions over Iran for the past 30 years,” he explained. “This particular operation, though, we trained for over the past month.”

In the final days before the attack, pilots sensed something significant was coming but did not know the details until Thursday morning, when Air Force Chief Tomer Bar gathered squadron commanders for an advanced briefing. The final go-ahead, however, came late that night.

“There was a lot of tension,” Lt. Col. A recalled. “The technical teams prepared the aircraft and the bombs, while the flight crews reviewed the operational plans and the possible scenarios.”

The crews also faced the sobering prospect of being shot down and captured. “Those are some of the risks,” Lt. Col. A acknowledged.

The massive air assault began at 2:55 a.m. on June 13, with most of the Israeli Air Force participating. Carefully targeted strikes on Iranian air defenses and ballistic missile infrastructure left Tehran unable to mount an effective response for several hours.

“We didn’t know if we could carry out our full mission undetected,” the squadron commander said. “We were pleasantly surprised that we could — thanks to the massive attack on the enemy’s vulnerabilities.”

Following the ceasefire, the squadron has returned its focus to Gaza, where Lt. Col. A said the mission remains unchanged: “Destroying Hamas, returning the hostages, and ensuring the security of border-area communities.”

He noted that even during the 12 days of combat over Iran, strikes continued against Hamas targets in Gaza, and assured that there is no shortage of munitions to finish the job.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)