Israel to attack Iran’s underground missile sites in second phase of war, say sources

TEL AVIV – Israel’s war in Iran is entering a second phase that will see its fighter jets attacking ballistic missile sites buried deep underground, according to two sources familiar with Israel’s military campaign. The joint air assault with the United States in Iran is nearing the end of its first week after opening salvos killed the country’s leaders and set off a regional war with Iranian attacks in Israel, the Gulf and Iraq, and Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

Israel’s military says it has hit hundreds of Iranian missile launchers above ground that could target Israeli cities. The second phase will include bunkers storing ballistic missiles and equipment, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. One said Israel aimed to neutralise Iran’s ability to launch aerial attacks at Israel by the end of the war, which was also focused on taking out the Islamic republic’s leadership. The military has previously asserted that it and the US military have taken control of much of Iran’s airspace in the opening days of the attacks.

In a statement on March 5, the military said that, overnight, the air force struck “an underground infrastructure site used by the Iranian regime to store ballistic missiles and storage sites for missiles intended for use against aircraft”. The military has not previously announced attacks on underground missile facilities, according to a review of its public statements since the start of the joint US-Israeli attacks on Feb 28. (Read More)