Israel's opposition leader criticizes limited strikes on Iran, urges stronger action

Shafaq News/ Yair Lapid, the leader of Israel’s opposition, criticized the scope of recent Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military sites, arguing they fell short of a decisive impact on Iran’s strategic assets.

In a post on his X account, Lapid remarked, “The decision not to target Iran’s strategic and economic sites was a mistake…We could and should have exacted a much heavier price from Iran.”

Despite his critique, Lapid extended praise to the Israeli Air Force, saying, “I commend the Air Force for once again demonstrating world-class operational capabilities and its air superiority.”

“Israel’s enemies know this morning that the IDF is strong, can strike with force, and reach anywhere,” he concluded.

Under the "Days of Reckoning" operations, the Israeli military launched airstrikes early Saturday targeting Iranian military sites, escalating regional tensions after an October 1 missile barrage from Iran struck Israel.

In a statement, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee explained that Israeli forces carried out a “precision attack on military targets across several regions in Iran,” noting that “all Israeli aircraft returned safely to their bases.”

According to Adraee, the airstrikes focused on Iranian missile production facilities responsible for manufacturing rockets aimed at Israel over the past year, labeling these facilities an “immediate and direct threat.”

Iranian state agency IRNA confirmed strikes on facilities in Tehran, Khuzestan, and Ilam provinces, claiming the attacks caused “limited damage” and were intercepted by air defenses.

In turn, a well-informed source has denied claims that Israel deployed 100 military aircraft in recent strikes on Iranian sites, describing the figure as "completely false" and accusing Israel of overstating the scale of its operation. The source, speaking to Tasnim news agency, said Israel's attempts to "magnify" the impact of its strikes stem from the operation's limited effectiveness.

The source further disputed Israeli military statements that 20 targets were hit, suggesting the actual number was “far fewer” than claimed.