Tel Aviv [Israel], March 17 (ANI): The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced a series of targeted strikes against “Iranian regime infrastructure in different areas across Iran.”
In a post on X, the IDF said the aerial operation hit multiple sites in Tehran, where “dozens of munitions were dropped on command centers, and UAV, ballistic missile, and air defence storage sites were struck.”
🎯STRUCK: Iranian regime infrastructure in different areas across Iran:
đź“ŤIn Tehran, dozens of munitions were dropped on command centers and UAV, ballistic missiles and air defense storage sites were struck.
📍In Shiraz, the internal security forces’ command center and a… pic.twitter.com/8RX2NS4tnH
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 17, 2026
A map shared by the IDF showed pins on a satellite view marking strikes in Tehran, Shiraz and Tabriz. The campaign also reached southern and northwestern Iran. The military said that “in Shiraz, the internal security forces’ command centre and a ballistic missile site were struck,” and that in the northwest “additional Iranian regime air defence systems were dismantled,” expanding aerial superiority for Israel.
The Times of Israel reported the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign is proceeding “according to plan,” moving faster than initially expected. Military officials said strikes on Iran’s defence sector are set to “further ramp up” as efforts continue to “reduce missile fire on Israel.” The IDF indicated it is prepared for at least “three more weeks of operations” inside Iran.
The military said there remain “thousands more targets” across Tehran and other provinces. “We have thousands of targets ahead,” IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said, adding the forces are “ready, in coordination with our US allies,” with plans extending through “Passover” and beyond.
The Times of Israel noted that after the initial “decapitation strikes” on February 28 — which it reported killed Ali Khamenei and more than “40 top Iranian officials” — the IDF has shifted its focus. Current operations aim at the destruction of Iran’s “military industry,” specifically targeting ballistic missile production and air defence networks.
Officials compared the present campaign to a short escalation in June 2025, calling the current operation “far more extensive.” Whereas the earlier engagement sought to stop nuclear weapon development, the present campaign is described as an effort to eliminate Iran’s “strategic threat” for the “foreseeable future.”
To that end, the IDF said it is working to “systematically degrade” Iran’s defence apparatus, including IRGC-affiliated missile firms and private companies that produce components for naval weapons and “spy satellites.” Military sources claim the strikes have already caused “significant damage,” asserting Tehran currently lacks the “ability to manufacture any new missiles.”
The Israeli Air Force has reportedly been “hunting down” launchers, disabling about “70 per cent” of the regime’s estimated 500 ballistic missile units after neutralising over “100 air defence systems” and roughly “120 detection systems” earlier in the campaign.
Beyond hardware, the strikes have targeted “centres of power,” such as command units of the internal security forces and the Basij. The IDF estimated between “4,000 and 5,000 Iranian soldiers” have been killed and reported falling morale and desertions within missile divisions.
According to The Times of Israel, the broader US-Israeli mission aims to “distance threats” and create conditions that could eventually lead the local population to “topple the regime.” (ANI)
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