1,900 Iranian soldiers and commanders killed by Israeli strikes: IDF
The article reports that Israel’s military claims it has killed over 1,900 Iranian soldiers and IRGC commanders as the war began on February 28, in what Israel calls Operation Roaring Lion, not counting those killed in U.S. airstrikes.
U.S. officials say the first day of operations, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, involved about twice as many sorties as the 2003 Iraq War, and Israel says its air campaign has conducted five times more sorties than during the 12-day war. Israeli spokespersons and officials describe the tempo as sustaining a high-intensity campaign that is taking a heavy toll on Iran’s military, especially the IRGC and its leadership.
Casualties are cited primarily among IRGC members and senior Iranian officials. The United States has reportedly lost seven soldiers and Israel two soldiers. The article notes a important civilian toll in Iran, with Iranian officials estimating at least 1,255 total deaths in Iran so far, including about 200 children and 11 healthcare workers, with the strike on a girls’ primary school in Minab among the highlighted incidents.
Strategic targets cited include six Iranian military airfields, the Quds Force headquarters in Tehran, a surface-to-air missile site in Isfahan, and other military infrastructure, including a drone headquarters targeted by Israel. The report asserts that Israel and the United States have achieved air supremacy over Iran, degrading Tehran’s air defenses, and allowing strikes across the country with roughly 1,000 sorties per day, a pace nearing Gulf War levels, though no Iranian aircraft have been reported lost to enemy fire.
The piece frames the conflict as featuring several historical firsts in a war with Iran and emphasizes the unprecedented scale of air operations in the 21st century.
Israeli military says 1,900 Iranian soldiers and commanders killed by strikes alone
Israel’s military said it has killed over 1,900 Iranian soldiers and commanders in “Operation Roaring Lion,” not counting those killed in U.S. airstrikes, since the start of the war on Feb. 28.
U.S. military officials said the total number of sorties on the first day of “Operation Epic Fury” was twice the number carried out in the 2003 “shock and awe” air campaign against Iraq, while Israel said its air campaign launched five times more sorties than during the 12-day war. This pace of airstrikes has taken a toll on Iran’s military, with army spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin claiming that Israeli air strikes have killed nearly 2,000 Iranian soldiers and commanders and wounded thousands more.
“We have many more targets; it is an ongoing effort, and we are deepening the blows to all levels of the regime,” he said.
The vast majority of those killed have been Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members, the backbone of Iran’s armed forces.
The United States has attacked with equal fury as Israel, possibly doubling the military death count or more. The casualties are also disproportionately focused in the upper echelons of the Guard and the Iranian government.
In contrast, the U.S. has lost only seven soldiers, while Israel has lost only two soldiers.
The intensity of the air campaign has also caused a significant number of civilian deaths in Iran. The actual number of dead civilians is impossible to find out, but Iranian Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian told Al Jazeera on Monday that at least 1,255 people have been killed in Iran overall, not distinguishing between military and civilian losses. Among those killed were 200 children and 11 healthcare workers, with most of the child fatalities occurring when a girls’ primary school in Minab was hit on the first day.
On Monday, the Israeli military said its air force bombed six Iranian military airfields the night before, and earlier on Monday, dozens of fighter jets bombed targets across Iran using 170 munitions. Among the targets were the Guard’s Quds Force headquarters in Tehran, a surface-to-air missile production and storage site in Isfahan, and additional military infrastructure in Isfahan.
Israel’s military also announced a strike on a Guard drone headquarters.
Israel and the U.S. achieved air supremacy over Iran in the opening hours of the war, degrading Tehran’s air defenses to the extent that their aircraft and drones have been able to strike all across the country.
WAR WITH IRAN SEES SEVERAL HISTORICAL FIRSTS
The war with Iran has turned into the most intensive air campaign of the 21st century, almost matching the intensity of the Gulf War. From what U.S. officials and analysts have said, U.S. and Israeli air forces have been able to mount roughly 1,000 sorties per day, only slightly less than the 1,200-1,500 sorties per day of the Gulf War.
Unlike the Gulf War, however, neither the U.S. nor Israeli air forces have lost any aircraft to enemy fire.
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