IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir disclosed new details on how Israel’s cabinet approved the June strike on Iranian targets during Operation “Like a Lion.”
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of Israeli Air Force Flight Course 191 at Hatzerim Airbase on Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir revealed details of the decision-making process that led to Operation “Rising Lion,” carried out on the night of June 12–13.
Zamir said the operation against Iranian targets was approved during a dramatic cabinet meeting in June, during which Israel’s cabinet secretary recited a prayer for the safety of the pilots. “It was a dramatic meeting,” Zamir recalled. “Hands were raised and the operation was approved. At 02:55, dozens of bombs struck their targets with pinpoint precision. The Israeli Air Force, Israel’s long-range strategic arm, was at its best.”
He praised the Air Force pilots, saying he had warned them in advance that some aircraft might be shot down and that not everyone would return. “They answered: ‘We are ready for the mission. You can count on us.’ I knew that with this spirit, we can defeat any threat,” he said.