The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Saturday strongly criticised Iranian media for allegedly “spreading lies,” dismissing reports about the downing of two Israeli F-35 fighter jets as “fake news.”
Iran claimed on Saturday that its air defenses had successfully shot down two Israeli F-35 jets along with a large number of micro air vehicles.
In response, IDF’s official spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, took to social media to dismiss these claims, labeling them as “complete FAKE NEWS.”
He shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) showing Israeli defenses intercepting an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over northern Israel, stating, “While the Iranian regime spreads lies, we are taking down real threats like this Iranian UAV this morning.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday the initiation of ‘Operation Rising Lion,’ a targeted military campaign aimed at countering Iran’s nuclear ambitions and ensuring Israel’s security. He emphasized that the operation will continue intensely until the threat is eliminated.
Early Saturday, tensions in the Middle East escalated further when Iran launched a fresh wave of missile attacks on Israel. This renewed offensive occurs amid ongoing hostilities between the two nations.
IDF spokesperson Brigadier General Efi Dufferin reported, “Two salvoes of surface-to-surface missiles were launched from Iran toward Israel, with fewer than a hundred missiles fired in each salvo. Most were intercepted by air defense systems, while others did not reach their targets. There has been limited damage, mostly due to landslides and minor structural impact.”
He affirmed Israel’s stance that it will not allow Iran to strengthen its missile capabilities to pose an existential threat.
“We anticipate the possibility of further barrages in the future,” Dufferin added. “We are actively working to neutralize this threat and ensure the safety of our citizens.”