What Has Happened Since the Launch of Operation Roaring Lion

This article was last updated September 7th, 2026.

This article contains outdated information about Iran. For the latest information, please see our most recent page on Iran.

On February 28th, the IDF, together with the United States military, launched Operation Roaring Lion with the goal of striking the Iranian terror regime and removing long-term existential threats to the State of Israel–threats the regime continues to build and fund.

Following the opening strike, four intense weeks passed, marked by targeted eliminations and widespread strikes from the air, ground, and sea, all carried out simultaneously across multiple arenas.

Operation by the Numbers

During the first month of Operation Roaring Lion:

• More than 800 Israeli Air Force strike sorties
• Approximately 16,000 munitions employed
• Over 4,000 targets struck in Iran
• More than 2,000 regime personnel and commanders eliminated
• More than 5,000 additional intelligence targets identified
• Approximately 7,000 operational objectives struck across all arenas

Many of the newly identified targets resulted from intelligence collected following Operation Rising Lion.

It can now also be revealed that through an extensive intelligence effort led by the IDF Intelligence Directorate and the Israeli Air Force since Operation Rising Lion, over 5,000 new targets were identified. Thousands of these terror-related assets were struck as part of the operation.

At the same time, alongside the strikes in Iran, the IDF fended off terror threats from all directions, targeting approximately 7,000 objectives across all fronts.

Week One: Opening Strike Against Iran

The opening phase of the operation was particularly significant. Within less than a minute, the leader of the Iranian regime, Ali Khamenei, along with approximately 40 other senior officials, was eliminated. 

Simultaneously, both the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and the Supreme Defense Council were targeted. That same day also saw the largest aerial operation in Israeli Air Force history.

The opening strike included around 200 fighter jets, hundreds of munitions, and approximately 500 targets. Within 24 hours, aerial superiority over Iran had been established.

Two days into the operation, the threat expanded to the Lebanese front after Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets toward northern Israel, choosing to support the Iranian regime over the citizens of Lebanon.

In response, the IDF initiated a wave of airstrikes against the terrorist organization.

Week Two: Expanding the Operation

The second week opened with a covert meeting in a hotel in Beirut, where five senior commanders from the Lebanon and Palestine Corps, branches of Iran’s Quds Force responsible for building and strengthening terror organizations beyond Iran’s borders, gathered.

The meeting was cut short by a precise nighttime naval strike that eliminated all five, marking another step in disrupting the terror network directed by the IRGC.

Throughout the week, additional strikes targeted critical regime infrastructure, including the IRGC Air Force headquarters, the emergency command center, and the regime’s space research center, which houses laboratories for developing military satellites used for surveillance and fire coordination across the Middle East.

Toward the end of the week, several senior figures from the Imam Hussein Division were eliminated, including its commander.

This unit, originally established during the Syrian civil war by the Quds Force, later relocated to Lebanon, where it now operates alongside Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed militias, participating in ground combat as well as rocket and UAV attacks against Israel.

Week Three: Targeting Iran's Military Leadership

During the third week, multiple key figures in the Iranian regime were eliminated, including:

• The Basij commander
• Iran’s Minister of Intelligence
• Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council
• IRGC spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naeini

A significant blow was delivered early in the week when the IAF struck the main headquarters of the IRGC Navy, located within a large military complex in eastern Tehran. This facility had long been used to plan and promote terror operations against Israel and other countries in the region.

In a separate first, the IAF also struck Iranian missile ships in the Caspian Sea.

Iran’s ballistic missile array was also significantly damaged, with strikes targeting production and development sites. Additional strikes focused on launch systems, including five strikes carried out within seconds in western Iran.

Following the elimination of the Imam Hussein Division’s leadership the previous week, its newly appointed commander in Beirut was also eliminated–just one week after assuming the role. 

In southern Lebanon, the IDF carried out strikes against fuel stations operated by the Hezbollah-controlled Al-Amana company, a key asset financing terror for the organization.

Week Four: Continued Operations Across Multiple Fronts

With Hezbollah’s foot on the pedal in terms of advancing terror attacks and ambushes on Israeli civilians and IDF troops, ground operations in southern Lebanon intensified further, with dozens of Hezbollah operatives eliminated and targets struck.

At the same time, the IDF continued targeting the core foundations and infrastructure of the Iranian regime, including sites used for the production of cruise missiles, Iran’s primary facility for manufacturing missiles and naval mines, and the IRGC’s central security headquarters.

This headquarters was embedded within civilian infrastructure and was used to coordinate regional units responsible for enforcing regime control and internal security.

One of the most significant achievements of the week was the elimination of all three primary IRGC commanders. The IDF eliminated the commander of the IRGC Navy and the head of its naval intelligence, joining previously eliminated senior figures including Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC Air Force, and Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Ground Forces.

At the time this article was written, more than 800 Israeli Air Force strike sorties were carried out using approximately 15,000 munitions, over 2,000 regime personnel and commanders were eliminated, and more than 4,000 targets were struck.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Operation Roaring Lion?

A: Operation Roaring Lion was a joint military operation launched by Israel and the United States against Iran on February 28, 2026. Its core objectives focused on removing existential threats, neutralizing Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile infrastructure, and targeting military command systems.

Q: Why did Israel strike Hezbollah in the Iran-Israel War?

A: On March 2nd, 2026, Hezbollah decided to join the war against Israel alongside Iran, betraying its own people, and escalated its attacks shortly after. Hezbollah launched rockets and attacks against northern Israel, endangering thousands of civilians. In a defensive response, the IDF launched ground operations to degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities to harm Israeli civilians.

Q: How many targets has Israel struck in Iran?

A: At the time that the article was written, more than 4,000 targets in Iran were struck, while approximately 7,000 objectives were targeted across all operational arenas.

Q: Which organizations were targeted?

A: The operation targeted elements of the Iranian regime (IRGC), the Quds Force, and Hezbollah.