The American and Israeli campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran reached its 100th hour on March 5, as both forces in the joint operation continued to target military assets. The United States highlighted recent progress in degrading the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile and naval capabilities on March 4 and 5, while Israel has also focused on elements of the regime’s domestic repression apparatus, in addition to military targets.
The United States has struck over 2,000 targets, and Israel has struck over 2,500. The two countries also announced the establishment of air superiority over key parts of Iran, which will precede and enable a new phase of the campaign.
Overview
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine announced on March 4 that the United States had established “localized air superiority across the southern flank of the Iranian coast.” The next day, Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Eyal Zamir said that Israeli pilots had cleared a path to Tehran within the first 24 hours of the operation.
Zamir also announced the completion of the initial “surprise” phase of the campaign, which included establishing air superiority and suppressing Iran’s ballistic missile firing. He said that the next phase would increase strikes on “the regime’s pillars and its military capabilities.”
The Wall Street Journal reported on March 5 that American and Israeli aircraft are circling above Iran’s underground missile silos, which are hardened, buried bunkers, and attacking when launchers emerge to fire. US and Israeli bombers have also struck many of these sites, effectively entombing the weapons and any personnel.
This effort has contributed to the decline in Iranian ballistic missile launches, which General Caine said was down 86 percent since February 28, while the regime’s drone launches were down 73 percent as of March 4.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth described the Iranian Navy as “combat ineffective” on March 5, after US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on March 4 that American forces sank more than 20 Iranian vessels. This tally includes the IRIS Dena, an Iranian Moudge-class frigate, which the United States sank with a torpedo in international waters, killing over 80 crew members.
Zamir provided an update on March 5 saying that the Israeli Air Force had used over 6,000 munitions in 2,500 strikes. He said approximately 80 percent of the Islamic Republic’s air defense systems were destroyed, and over 60 percent of the country’s ballistic missile launchers were destroyed.
The IDF announced on March 5 that it struck over 750 targets in Tehran, “dismantled 300 missile launchers,” “dismantled 600 terrorist sites,” and killed over 40 “senior terrorists & [Iranian Supreme Leader] Ali Khameni” in the first 100 hours of the conflict. “We struck hundreds of targets in the regime’s command and control systems,” the IDF Persian X account added, referencing the same period.
The IDF announced on March 4 that its military targeting included air defense systems, surface-to-air and ballistic missiles, elements of Iran’s nuclear threat, infrastructure for strategic weapons production, command-and-control facilities, and members of senior leadership. The IDF also stated that it was targeting dozens of bases in Tehran associated with elements of the regime’s repression apparatus, particularly the Basij [internal security] and police forces, on May 4.
Italy, France, Spain, and the Netherlands said on March 5 that they would send assets to defend Cyprus after an Iranian drone targeted a British base on the Island on March 2.
The latest Iranian kinetic strike developments
In addition to attacking its Arab neighbors and Israel, the Islamic Republic attacked Azerbaijan on March 5. Azerbaijan said that drones attacked the city of Nakhchivan, injuring four civilians and causing damage, and President Ilham Alliyev sought an apology from Tehran. “The Azerbaijani state strongly condemns this ugly terrorist act, and those who committed it must be immediately held accountable,” Alliyev stated. Tehran denied launching weapons at Azerbaijan.
Turkey also reported that NATO defenses intercepted an Iranian missile that was headed towards Turkish airspace on March 4. Iran’s military also denied targeting Turkey.
Targeted assassinations of Iranian regime targets
Attacks on the Islamic Republic’s repression apparatus
The IDF said that it “concluded a large-scale operation against a major military complex belonging to the Iranian terrorist regime, which included the headquarters and forces of all components of the security apparatus” in east Tehran on March 4. The targets included:
On March 5, the Israeli military said that its most recent wave of airstrikes in and around Tehran targeted additional military sites and elements of the repression apparatus, including “the headquarters of the Islamic Republic’s special forces, Basij bases, and several other command centers.” This attack included roughly 90 Israeli jets dropping nearly 200 munitions on roughly 40 targets.
The Tehran regime has reportedly established checkpoints and expanded its on-the-ground presence of loyalists to deter a resumption of the large protests seen in January and February. This recent show of force has included staging machine-gun mounted vehicles in Tehran, according to eyewitness reports.
As the IDF and American forces target the Iranian regime’s repression apparatus, reports of Iranian military forces operating out of civilian infrastructure have continued. Videos have identified forces in sports complexes, schools, and universities in cities across the country, including Bushehr, Tabriz, Yazd, Bandar Abbas, Gorgan, Qazvin, and Tehran.
Other US and Israeli targeting of the regime’s military and repression apparatus has included:
Bridget Toomey is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focusing on Iranian proxies, specifically Iraqi militias and the Houthis.
Tags: basij, centcom, IDF, Iran, Iranian Missile Program, IRGC, Operation Epic Fury, Operation Lion’s Roar, US-Iran
