In the latest episode of the Daily Mail's War on Tape podcast, foreign correspondent Chris Pleasance provides a comprehensive breakdown of the opening salvo in the Iran war, which resulted in the death of Ayatollah Khamenei in a targeted 'decapitation' strike. The conflict began at 9:45 am local time last Saturday, with the United States and Israel launching a joint bombing campaign aimed at crippling the Islamic Republic to provoke regime change.
Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion
The initial twelve hours of America's Operation Epic Fury and Israel's Operation Roaring Lion proved devastatingly successful. Approximately 900 strikes targeted key military infrastructure, including IRGC bases, ports, and nuclear sites. For the US and Israel, the crowning achievement of this early phase was undoubtedly the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. The Ayatollah, along with multiple high-ranking members of his regime, perished after Israeli F-16 fighter jets penetrated Iran's formidable air defence network and reduced Leadership House to rubble.
Disabling Iran's Air Defences
Show host Pleasance outlined two leading theories for how the US and Israel managed to disable Iran's air defence network with such ease, despite years of Iranian preparation for an attack. He explained, 'For the attack to get through, Iran's air defences had to be disabled - we don't exactly know how this happened.' One possibility involves an initial strike by US and Israeli F-35 stealth jets, operating from Jordan, the Lincoln aircraft carrier, and the Nevatim air base. These aircraft are designed to hunt down and destroy anti-air systems, likely supported by F-22s for air superiority to protect against Iranian jets.
Once Iran's defences were neutralised, the path was cleared for follow-up strikes. Alternatively, a cyber attack could have crippled Iran's air defences without any planes taking off, a tactic well within the combined capabilities of Mossad and the CIA. Their intelligence was crucial in selecting the precise moment to strike, with Israel knowing exactly when Khamenei would be gathered with his senior commanders, prompting Trump to move the operation forward by hours for a daytime assault.
Historical Context and Warfare Mastery
Pleasance noted that the US and Israel are masters of this type of warfare, citing the Stuxnet virus deployed against Iran before 2010. Although never officially attributed to any state, Stuxnet destroyed around 1,000 Iranian centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear facility, causing the systems to self-destruct while appearing operational and setting back Tehran's nuclear ambitions by years. This historical precedent underscores the sophisticated tactics employed in the current conflict.
The episode highlights the strategic coordination and technological prowess behind the strike, offering expert analysis on the first twelve hours of the Iran war. For more insights, listeners can access the full podcast on platforms like Spotify or watch detailed breakdowns on the Daily Mail World YouTube channel.
