IDF moves to next phase of Israel–Iran war

Lead: On March 5, 2026, Israel’s military announced it is entering a new phase of operations against Iran after claiming air superiority and striking strategic targets inside Iranian territory. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the campaign — named Operation Roaring Lion — destroyed roughly 80% of Iran’s air defenses and more than 60% of its ballistic missile launchers within the opening phase, and that Israeli forces also killed a senior Hezbollah artillery commander in southern Lebanon. The military framed the move as aimed at eroding Tehran’s military backbone and preventing a zone of immunity from forming.

Key Takeaways

• The IDF announced on March 5, 2026, a transition to a new operational phase after claiming control of the air domain over Iran.
• IDF figures state approximately 80% of Iran’s air defense systems and over 60% of its ballistic missile launchers were destroyed in the opening phase.
• Operation Roaring Lion reportedly achieved these effects within the first 24 hours, which the IDF says “paved the way to Tehran.”
• The IDF said it killed Zaid Ali Jumaa, identified as head of Hezbollah’s artillery array Fidaa, linking him to a 2015 attack that killed two Givati Brigade soldiers.
• Zamir warned that Hezbollah’s entry into the campaign was a “strategic error,” and Israeli forces signaled a continued effort to disarm the group in Lebanon.
• The chief of staff offered condolences for U.S. soldiers killed in the prior week of fighting; the IDF characterized the operation as coordinated with an unnamed partner force in the skies.
• The military said additional undisclosed measures remain available, signaling further escalation options.

Background

Since major cross‑border hostilities expanded in late 2025 and into 2026, Israeli leaders have framed strikes on Iran as preventive and decisive efforts to degrade Tehran’s regional strike capabilities. Tensions have centered on missile and drone arsenals that Israel and its partners say enable attacks on Israeli territory and allies across the region. Historically, Israel has prioritized establishing air superiority early in any high‑intensity campaign to limit enemy freedom of maneuver and protect forces on the ground.

Hezbollah, the Lebanon‑based militia and political movement backed by Iran, has been a long‑standing front in Israel’s northern security equation. Incidents dating back to the 2006 Lebanon War and intermittent clashes have created a persistent threat vector along Israel’s northern border. Israeli statements on March 5 emphasize both a direct campaign against Tehran’s military infrastructure and parallel pressure on allied militias such as Hezbollah to curtail their strike capabilities.

Main Event

In a recorded address on the evening of March 5, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told the public the IDF had moved from initial strikes to a more sustained campaign targeting Iran’s military foundations. He credited the opening actions of Operation Roaring Lion with disabling key layers of Iran’s air defenses and ballistic missile infrastructure. The military framed those results as denying Iran a protected zone from which to project force.

The IDF also announced a kinetic action in southern Lebanon that killed Zaid Ali Jumaa, whom it described as the head of Hezbollah’s artillery array known as Fidaa. The military tied Jumaa to a January 2015 anti‑tank missile incident that killed two soldiers from the Givati Brigade, underscoring the group’s operational reach and the IDF’s intent to target specific militant leaders.

Zamir said the campaign reflects a broader strategic posture: isolating Tehran militarily and pressuring allied non‑state actors. He warned that Hezbollah’s choice to join the campaign represented a miscalculation that would result in sustained Israeli countermeasures. The chief of staff also offered condolences to families of U.S. service members reported killed during the week of fighting, acknowledging allied casualties without providing a precise U.S. figure.

Analysis & Implications

If IDF damage assessments are accurate, degrading roughly 80% of air defenses and over 60% of missile launchers would substantially reduce Iran’s ability to contest Israeli or partner air operations in the near term. Loss of integrated air defenses can create windows for follow‑on strikes on command, control and missile production sites; however, such claims require independent verification given the fog of conflict and propaganda incentives on all sides.

The reported elimination of senior Hezbollah artillery leadership signals a deliberate approach to sever the linkage between Tehran and its militia proxies. Sustained pressure on Hezbollah risks intensifying cross‑border firefights in Lebanon and could produce civilian hardship in southern Lebanon — outcomes that would complicate Israel’s diplomatic and humanitarian standing regionally.

There are broader geopolitical stakes: a campaign that visibly degrades Iranian capabilities could alter calculations among regional states and great‑power actors. If external partners are actively supporting Israeli strikes (as implied by references to two powerful militaries), that could change deterrence dynamics and provoke diplomatic backlash, sanctions debates or further military escalation depending on how Tehran responds.

Comparison & Data

The IDF’s numbers are presented as comparative snapshots tied to the opening phase; they do not include independent verification or third‑party assessments. Even so, the scale described would represent one of the most rapid degradations of Iranian air defenses in recent decades if corroborated. Analysts will seek satellite imagery, third‑party intelligence disclosures and open‑source indicators to confirm physical damage and assess long‑term operational impact.

Reactions & Quotes

“We are now transitioning to the next phase of the campaign, in which we will intensify strikes against the regime’s foundations and military capabilities.”

Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, IDF Chief of Staff (recorded address)

Context: Zamir framed the move as necessary to prevent Iran from reaching a zone of immunity and as a step toward crippling strategic assets. The sentence was delivered as a public justification for escalating strikes.

“We have additional surprise moves at our disposal that I do not intend to reveal.”

Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, IDF Chief of Staff (recorded address)

Context: This remark underscored an intent to retain operational flexibility while signaling further, undisclosed options that could broaden the campaign.

Unconfirmed

• The percentages for destroyed air defenses and missile launchers are presented by the IDF and have not been independently verified by third‑party sources.
• The identity and extent of the “two of the world’s most powerful militaries” referenced by the IDF were not specified in the statement and remain unclear.
• Precise U.S. casualty figures referenced by the IDF were not detailed in the public address and require confirmation from U.S. authorities.

Bottom Line

The IDF has announced a shift to a deeper phase of operations against Iran, asserting substantial physical damage to Iranian air defences and missile capabilities and the targeted killing of a Hezbollah artillery commander on March 5, 2026. Those claims, if substantiated, would mark a significant change in regional military dynamics and could limit Iran’s near‑term strike options while raising the risk of broader escalation.

Independent verification of damage assessments and casualty numbers will be crucial to understanding the true operational impact. Observers should watch for corroborating satellite imagery, third‑party intelligence reporting, and statements from other governments as indicators of how durable the claimed effects will be and whether the campaign will broaden or enter diplomatic containment efforts.

Sources

• The Jerusalem Post (Israeli news) — report of IDF statements and operational claims published March 5, 2026.