"Our aircraft are hitting the terror operatives on the ground, in the crossroads, in the city squares," Netanyahu said, telling the Iranian people to "go out and celebrate Nowruz."
Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani and deputy also killed in IDF strikes, officials say 'majority of the Basij leadership was eliminated overnight' • Netanyahu: Larijani was 'boss' of regime
The military also published photographs of weapons and terror paraphernalia belonging to Hezbollah terror operatives seized by the 91st Division across southern Lebanon.
Cluster munitions from Iran targeted central Israel on Tuesday afternoon, causing shrapnel to fall on the train station in Holon and other locations throughout central Israel.
Hamas terrorist Kamal Ayash was an anti-tank corps commander and was killed following an incident in which Ayash attempted to attack IDF troops.
The actions by the standby squad prevented a potentially serious hit near a residential area, with the police informing that the drone was loaded with explosives.
The use of cluster-bomb-carrying missiles has raised questions among the public regarding the interception capability of air defense systems.
According to the officer from the IDF's clandestine satellite intelligence division, the goal of the attack was to maintain Israel's supremacy in space, especially regarding satellite surveillance.
While the move marks a dramatic escalation, it still does not amount to a full-scale invasion along the lines of the 2024 campaign, as forces are not advancing all the way to the Litani River.
"We attacked more than 2,000 targets in Iran and eliminated thousands of commanders and soldiers from the regime," IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said.
"The United States strongly condemns Iran and Iran-backed terrorist militias' attacks on diplomatic, military, and civilian infrastructure in the region," a US State Department spokesperson said.
