Israeli Strikes Hit Key Military Targets in Tehran, F-35 Scores First Air-to-Air Kill

Late on the evening of March 4, the Iranian capital of Tehran was rocked by a series of explosions. Videos circulating online captured multiple blasts illuminating the night sky.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it was conducting strikes against "the military infrastructure of the Iranian regime in Tehran." According to military statements, a major military complex in eastern Tehran was destroyed. The targets reportedly included the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran's intelligence directorate, and the headquarters of the Basij paramilitary force and the IRGC's Quds Force.

In a significant development, an Israeli Air Force F-35I "Adir" stealth fighter shot down an Iranian Yakovlev Yak-130 combat trainer aircraft over Tehran. The IDF stated this marks the first recorded instance of an F-35 "Adir" achieving an air-to-air kill against a manned fighter jet.

Reports from Tehran on Thursday morning indicated that explosions continued to be heard intermittently across different parts of the capital for several hours following the initial strikes.