Without the powerful bombs needed to penetrate Iran’s mountain plants, Israel appears in its first wave of attacks to have gone for the regime’s leading nuclear scientists and military commanders.
A series of precision strikes have hit downtown Tehran taking out specific floors on an apartment block, probably using its Rampage long-range missiles that carry a 570kg warhead or the SkySniper air-to-surface missile with a range of 250km.
Israel, at some considerable risk, also used Mossad agents and commandos to smuggle weapons in ahead of the strikes, establishing a base inside Iranian territory to launch an “explosive drones” attack, military sources said. These targeted Iranian missile launchers that were mounted on trucks as well as the country’s surface-to-air missile systems.
Israel has also gone for Iran’s nuclear sites, probably using its biggest deployable munition, the GBU-28 1,800kg “bunker buster” and the laser-guided GBU-27 Paveway III 900kg weapon.
The ordnance was delivered by 200 fighter-bomber aircraft likely to be the stealthy F-35, then a selection of F-15 and F18s jets that can all carry a significant payload.
However, the Israeli air force does not have the heavy bombers possessed by the US. Those are the only aircraft capable of carrying the 13,600kg GBU-57 “massive ordnance penetrator” (MOP) designed to pierce 60 metres of reinforced concrete.
Decapitation mission
Without that capability Israel has gone for what appears to be a “decapitation strategy” in which it has aimed for key regime figures.
Open-source intelligence points to several addresses that have been hit in Tehran where senior personnel were probably asleep when their homes were struck, including at Langari Street and Patrice Lumumba Street.
Iranian media confirmed that nuclear scientist Fereydoun Abbasi, the former head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, and Iranian physicist and president of the Islamic Azad University Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi have both been killed.
Israel also killed Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps chief Maj Gen Hossein Salami and Maj Gen Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, in addition to other senior officers.
“The breadth and scale of these strikes – against senior Iranian officials in addition to nuclear sites – suggest this operation is intended to not just dissuade Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons, but also cripple any potential military response and even to destabilise the regime,” said Matthew Savill, director of military science at the Rusi think tank.
He added that the size of the force represents the “overwhelming bulk” of Israel’s longer-range strike aircraft but added that, while they had the ability to conduct multiple rounds of strikes, operating for an extended duration “will stretch even the Israeli Air Force”.
Unconfirmed reports cite explosions at key Iranian sites in Qom, Markazi, Kermanshah and Hamadan provinces, with the Natanz nuclear plant, most of it buried 50 metres below ground, also hit.
The Israelis are also likely to have deployed a number of AGM-88 HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile) anti-radar missiles to take out Iran’s air defence systems. However, given that there were no reported Israeli losses, it appears that its earlier retaliatory strike in October, which largely struck Iran's surface-to-air system and ballistic missile factories, has had a lasting impact.
It is also likely that many attacks were conducted at long range to keep aircraft away from air defences.
The precise strikes also demonstrate that Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, still has significant assets in Iran providing it with key information.
US deception
An Israeli security source told The National that the operation was a “deliberate targeted destruction of Iran’s C2”, using the military reference for command and control.
“This night has been one of utter military decapitation and has strong regime change connotations,” he added.
It is also understood that the US played a key deception role in the attacks by allowing the Iranians to believe that there would be another round of nuclear agreement negotiations starting on Sunday.
This is likely to have caught senior Iranian commanders off guard, believing that Israel would not strike if this hindered the possibility of a diplomatic outcome.
It can be assumed that Washington was convinced that Iran was dragging out talks without agreeing to concede over its uranium enrichment.
The attack came a day after the International Atomic Energy Agency passed a resolution against Iran for the first time in 20 years, stating the country had consistently failed to provide information on “undeclared nuclear material and activities” at “multiple undeclared locations”.
While the US for now appears to remain out of the conflict, satellite imagery last month showed a force of heavy bombers consisting of six B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and four B-52s that are both capable of carrying GBU-57 bombs.
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
1st Test July 26-30 in Galle
2nd Test August 3-7 in Colombo
3rd Test August 12-16 in Pallekele
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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New schools in Dubai
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Company%20profile%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYodawy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarim%20Khashaba%2C%20Sherief%20El-Feky%20and%20Yasser%20AbdelGawad%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2424.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlgebra%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20MEVP%20and%20Delivery%20Hero%20Ventures%2C%20among%20others%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20500%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Ways to control drones
Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.
"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.
New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.
It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.
The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.
The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Everton 2 (Tosun 9', Doucoure 93')
Rotherham United 1 (Olosunde 56')
Man of the Match Olosunde (Rotherham)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Scoreline:
Everton 4
Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', Digne 56', Walcott 64'
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)
