Israel: Fighter Pilots Over Iran – The First 24 Hours of ‘Rising Lion’ Operation

Fighter jets played a crucial role in the ‘Rising Lion’ operation, with Israeli pilots from the IAF tasked with neutralizing threats hundreds of kilometers away from their bases. On Friday, June 13, 2025, 200 fighter jets launched from Israel and began bombing targets in Iran. For an entire week, aerial strikes on Iranian soil have been relentless. As described by Israeli pilots, the primary objective during the first 24 hours of the ‘Rising Lion’ operation was to secure air superiority over Iran by neutralizing its air defense systems. Major B., a pilot in the Israeli Air Force (IAF), explained what pilots experience during operations against Iran. ‘During the first 24 hours of the operation, our goal was to create an environment where every ground-to-air threat targeting us would be certain that we would overcome it,’ he said. According to Major B., IAF pilots have detected Iranian fighters taking off from various bases, ‘but they never fly towards us. They always head in the opposite direction, and that’s the best decision.’ Facing an existential threat to the state of Israel, the IAF aims to neutralize three key dangers: nuclear threats, ballistic threats, and pro-Iranian groups in the region. Major B. emphasized the precision and flexibility of the IAF, ensuring civilian areas are not targeted. He recounted seeing Iranian ballistic missiles flying toward Israel during his return flight, underscoring the importance of their mission. ‘If we don’t do it, no one else will,’ he concluded.