A “shadow” top command was prepared for the first time by the IDF during the war against Iran—in case the Chief of Staff and top generals were wiped out by Iran, Ynet reported on Monday morning.

According to the report, the shadow staff, headed by Deputy Chief of Staff Tamir Yadai, operated in a highly secret and secure bunker. The staff members, senior present and past commanders, were trained in advance and briefed on the full operational war plans.

During the war, the shadow staff was disconnected from the regular communication infrastructure to protect against cyber and physical attacks.

The shadow staff would have allowed command continuity if, chalilah, the Chief of Staff and army generals were physically harmed. Iran learned this the hard way when, at the beginning of the campaign, their army’s top command was eliminated, which greatly hampered their response to Israel.

During the war, Iran tried to attack the Kirya compound in Tel Aviv with precision missiles, and in one case, a missile even hit nearby.

The UK’s Telegraph recently reported that five IDF bases were hit by missiles fired by Iran during the 12 days of the war. The report is based on satellite data analyzed by the University of Oregon in the United States.

The IDF refused to comment on interception data or damage to bases, but told the newspaper that “all relevant units maintained functional continuity throughout the operation.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)