Israeli Air Force hits covert underground nuclear compound, kills 'thousands' of Iranian troops as strikes continue

The Israeli Air Force, in cooperation with U.S. forces, continued to hammer the Iranian regime Tuesday and Wednesday, firing over 5,000 munitions since the start of the war.

Among the destroyed targets were a covert nuclear compound, missile and air defense sites, and the infrastructure of the regime. In addition, an Israeli F-35 fighter jet achieved the first shootdown of a manned hostile fighter jet, destroying an Iranian Yak-130, a Russian-made advanced subsonic jet trainer and light combat aircraft developed in the 1990s.

According to the Times of Israel, this marked the first time in around 40 years that the Israeli Air Force has shot down a manned enemy aircraft. The last time was on November 24, 1985, over Lebanon, when an Israeli F-15 downed two Syrian MiG-23 fighters.

Operation Roaring Lion in Numbers: pic.twitter.com/Xb5PoHoTwl

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 3, 2026

According to IDF Spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin, the strikes Israeli strikes are part of an offensive plan “aimed at deepening the severe blow to the regime’s overall firing capability.”

“The damage spans the entire chain: from missile arsenals, to production infrastructure, to radar systems, and to the launchers themselves. This is a systematic and methodical effort that also includes real-time action: Israeli Air Force aircraft, guided by Military Intelligence, identify launch preparations on Iranian soil and strike them.”

“With 100 hours of fighting behind us, the IDF is focused forward. We started strong, and we continue strong, operating according to an orderly war plan in close coordination and cooperation with the United States military. We still have many objectives and targets ahead,“ he said.

⭕️The IDF has carried out a series of strikes on the Basij and internal security command centers in Tehran belonging to the Iranian terror regime.

The targeted command centers were used by the Iranian regime to maintain control throughout Iran.

The IDF also struck the regime’s… pic.twitter.com/nvlq72W6vJ

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 4, 2026

In a particularly large strike carried out by 100 fighter jets, the Air Force dropped over 250 bombs on a compound containing headquarters of all of Iran's security forces, including the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), the IRGC Quds Force, intelligence directorate, Basij paramilitary force, Iran's cyber unit, the special forces unit of Iran's internal security forces, and a "protest suppression" unit of the internal security forces.

"The headquarters were struck while personnel of the Iranian terror regime responsible for managing the campaign, advancing terror plans against the State of Israel and countries in the region, and suppressing Iranian civilians were operating from them," the military stated.

"In the past two days, we have killed thousands of Iranian forces," Col. "Aleph," commander of the Ramat David Airbase, said in a video published by the military.

The Israeli Air Force says it carried out "large-scale" airstrikes in Tehran targeting a massive Iranian military compound, which housed headquarters and personnel from across Iran's security apparatus.

The strikes carried out by over 100 fighter jets on the compound in eastern… pic.twitter.com/0rl97863A0

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 4, 2026

Late Tuesday, the IDF had announced strikes on the covert “Minzadehei” compound near Tehran, which was used to develop necessary capabilities for nuclear weapons.

Noting previous attacks during last year’s war, the IDF said that “despite the severe damage, the Iranian terror regime did not cease nuclear weapon activities and continued to advance development of the required capabilities for nuclear weapons, while shifting infrastructure to an underground site defended against aerial strikes.”

“In the site, a group of nuclear scientists operated covertly to develop a key component for nuclear weapons. IDF intelligence continued to follow the scientists' activities and located their new location at this site in a manner that enabled a precise strike on the covert underground compound,” thus removing “a key component in the Iranian regime’s capability to develop nuclear weapons,” the military added.

On Wednesday, the IDF said that the air force had conducted a tenth, large-scale wave of airstrikes in Tehran, which included the destruction of defense and detection systems at the “Mehrabad” Airport.

Overnight, dozens of regime infrastructure sites were hit, including “a facility used by the regime for the storage, production, and launch of ballistic missiles - including Ghadr missiles - in Isfahan in western Iran.”

🎯STRUCK: A Ghadr missile storage and production facility in Isfahan.

During a broad wave of IAF strikes, dozens of Iranian terror regime infrastructure sites were struck across Iran.

Targets included a facility used by the regime for the storage, production, and launch of… pic.twitter.com/1ACGSgjetS

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 4, 2026

On Tuesday, the IDF said it had dismantled approximately 300 Iranian missile launchers so far.

Asked whether a decisive victory was possible, Defrin responded that Israel “launched this operation out of necessity to remove a tangible existential threat,” stressing that the “objective is to severely damage the Iranian terrorist regime” and that the campaign would continue “until the threat is removed.”

POV: you’re a missile striking in Tehran. pic.twitter.com/33ZJwsdMZy

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 4, 2026

Defrin also noted there has been a “downward trend over the days” regarding Iranian missile launches at Israel.

“Iran still has capabilities, and we will continue hunting and destroying them. The Israeli Air Force and the U.S. Air Force are currently over Iranian skies, hunting launchers and destroying them. As time passes and we eliminate more capabilities, the volume of fire will continue to decline. So far, we have struck dozens of launchers and will continue to do so.”