‘We have some surprises up our sleeves’ - Israel takes advantage of air superiority in Iran, kills top general, destroys missile launchers

Early Tuesday morning, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump posted a message to Truth Social, urging “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!,” explosions were heard across the capital city of the Islamic Republic. 

Iranian media reported explosions in various parts of the country, along with heavy anti-aircraft fire in the capital city of Tehran. 

Due to the IAF’s elimination of most of Iran’s surface-to-air anti-aircraft missile launchers, the regime must now rely on the older and less effective anti-aircraft guns. 

In a statement released early Tuesday morning, the IDF said it had destroyed several additional surface-to-air launchers in Iran. 

“Dozens of infrastructure for storing and launching surface-to-surface missiles and surface-to-air missile launchers of the Iranian regime were destroyed,” the IDF stated on Tuesday morning. 

The military said that "IAF fighter jets completed several waves of attacks against dozens of Iranian regime military targets in western Iran.” 

תיעוד מתקיפות חיל האוויר הלילה במערב איראן: הושמדו עשרות תשתיות לאחסון ולשיגור טילי קרקע-קרקע ומשגרי טילי קרקע-אוויר של המשטר האיראני

מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר השלימו הלילה מספר גלי תקיפות לעבר עשרות מטרות צבאיות של המשטר האיראני במערב איראן.

במסגרת גלי התקיפות, חיל האוויר תקף… pic.twitter.com/PdpVNXCB0S

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 17, 2025

The number of missiles per barrage has also been dropping according to IDF assessments. The military noted that fewer than 10 ballistic missiles were launched by Iran overnight Monday-Tuesday. 

There were three overnight barrages: just after midnight, at 3:30 a.m., and 4:30 a.m. Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency services said there were no reports of impacts or injuries resulting from those launches. 

The number of missiles per barrage has declined significantly over the past three nights, which saw scores of missiles fired, with as many as 100 missiles in the first barrage. 

The IDF also said that it eliminated the top general appointed as head over the Iranian armed forces, Maj. Gen. Ali Shadmani in strikes in Tehran overnight. Maj. Gen. Ali Shadmani was appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after the assassination of Lt. Gen. Gholamali Rashid in the initial Israeli strikes last Friday morning. 

In view of Lt. Gen. Gholamali Rashid’s martyrdom at the hands of the vile Zionist regime, and in light of Major General Ali Shadmani's meritorious services & valuable experience, I confer the rank of Major Gen. & appoint him Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya (pbuh) Central HQ. pic.twitter.com/4dTDCKx66P

— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) June 13, 2025

Shadmani had occupied his position for roughly four days before being eliminated. The military said Shadmani "commanded both the Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian Armed Forces.”  

Iranian opposition-linked Iran International reported that “Almost every Tehran neighborhood has been struck, prompting a mass exodus.” The site said heavy traffic from Tehran continues, with much of the traffic heading towards the Caspian Sea area ahead of an apparent escalation which could also involve U.S. military units. 

Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, the chief of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate, Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, said that the military had “paved the way to Tehran and enabled the strike on the Iranian general staff.” 

“Soon, you’ll break ground in additional areas. You’ve proven that you can push boundaries and reach any target,” Binder told a group officers in the intelligence directorate. 

Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter told Merit Street that Israel is “progressing ahead of schedule” in its military operations against Iran. 

“What we’re doing in the Middle East is to prevent wars,” Leiter told the news agency. “This is the war to end wars. This is the war to engender peace in the Middle East.” 

The ambassador also said he believes the result of Operation Rising Lion will help “spread the Abraham Accords.” 

‘We’re progressing ahead of schedule.’ Israel’s Ambassador (@yechielleiter) tells @LyndsayMKeith that the ultimate goal is to ‘demolish all nuclear weapon facilities in Iran.’ On Merit TV. pic.twitter.com/ILvmmRIt72

— Merit Street (@MeritStreet) June 17, 2025

Ambassador Leiter said that President Trump is aligned with Netanyahu on the issue of Iran’s nuclear program. He also pointed out that Iran has tried to kill both Trump and former CIA director Mike Pompeo. 

“We are committed to completely demolishing the nuclear weapons infrastructure in Iran,” Leiter said. “That includes all the sites, and we’ll do whatever we have to do to ensure that that’s the endgame.” 

“We have some surprises up our sleeves,” Leiter concluded. “There’s still a lot of things we can do.”