Day 3 Israel-Iran War: Israel expected Iran's attacks to be much worse

IDF sources report that despite severe casualties in recent attacks, the current situation remains below the worst-case scenarios the military had prepared for before initiating operations against Iran.

Overnight Iranian Attacks

Following morning assessments, the IDF confirmed Iran launched three separate missile barrages overnight - not two as initially reported:

23:00 local time, 02:00, 02:55

The attacks involved approximately 75 ballistic missiles coordinated with dozens of drones.

Israeli Response Operations

Targets Hit: Israeli forces have struck approximately 170 targets across Iran, affecting 720 components and objectives since operations began less than three days ago.

Tehran Operations: The Israeli Air Force attacked more than 80 targets in Tehran overnight.

Strategic Focus: Military operations continue with two main objectives:

Sustained attacks throughout Tehran and "hunting" ballistic missile launchers in western Iran to disrupt Iranian fire capabilities

Energy Infrastructure Strikes

Oil and gas facilities targeted by Israeli forces reportedly serve Iran's military purposes and nuclear program. Military sources indicate the message is that "everything is on the table."

Hezbollah Monitoring

IDF officials report close monitoring of Hezbollah activities, noting that while Iran expects Hezbollah to take action, the group has not yet acted.

Casualty Assessment

After severe incidents in Bat Yam and Tamra, military officials stated that current damage and casualty levels remain below projections made for reasonable-level attack scenarios developed over recent years.