Israel’s military chief said on Wednesday that its commandos had secretly conducted operations within Iran during the two-week conflict, while the head of its intelligence agency praised support from US intelligence.
“We achieved full control over Iranian airspace and in every location where we chose to operate,” Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said in a televised address.
“This was made possible thanks to, among other things, coordination and tactical deception carried out by our air force and ground commando units,” he added.
Both nations have claimed victory in the clash since a ceasefire began on Tuesday. The conflict started on June 13 when Israel initiated an unexpected bombing campaign that it claimed was intended to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons—something Iran has continually denied.
Zamir was the first official from Israel to publicly announce that Israeli forces had been active on the ground in Iran. He expressed gratitude to the United States for what he described as its “precise, powerful and impressive” actions during the conflict.
On Sunday, the United States executed significant strikes on several of Iran’s critical nuclear facilities.
Zamir added that he maintained close communication with the US military during the Israeli operations.
Earlier on Wednesday, the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service, David Barnea, expressed appreciation to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for its assistance in “joint” operations throughout the war. He noted that the CIA “aided Mossad in making appropriate decisions”.
