Israeli pilot and navigator reveal inside story of unprecedented strikes against Iran’s ‘existential threat’

FIRST ON FOX — As U.S. forces launched their strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Israeli pilots had already been in the skies — carrying out missions they saw as vital not only to Israel’s security, but to the wider effort to confront the regime’s global threat.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, two Israeli Air Force (IAF) members — a female combat flight navigator and a pilot whose identities are not being revealed for security reasons — offered a rare, firsthand account of Israel’s historic air campaign against Iran.

The operation, they said, is not only a fight for national survival, but a broader mission to confront global threats.

“Over the past days, we’ve been conducting precise and determined operations against the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime — from western Iran to the heart of Tehran,” the female combat navigator said.

“We’ve achieved air superiority, neutralizing critical infrastructure and eliminating over a third of Iran’s missile capabilities. Every mission we fly is aimed at one goal, protecting the State of Israel and ensuring the safety of its citizens. We will continue to act anytime, anywhere, to defend our home.”

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The campaign began with a massive preemptive strike, triggered by Israeli intelligence assessments that Iran’s growing missile deployments and advancing nuclear program posed an immediate danger. Within hours, the Israeli Air Force launched a coordinated wave of attacks across Iran, targeting strategic military and nuclear sites.

So far, the IAF has achieved complete air superiority, allowing its jets to carry out deep strikes without meaningful resistance. Dozens of Israeli fighter jets have struck over 1,000 high-value targets, according to Israeli defense officials. Among the most critical were part of the Natanz uranium enrichment site, long-range missile depots near Hamedan, drone production and command centers in Shiraz, IRGC headquarters in Tehran and sophisticated Russian-made air defense systems, including the S-300 and S-400 batteries.

Speaking from an undisclosed base, the IAF pilot described the mission as both deeply operational and profoundly personal.

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“During this whole operation, we’ve been striking a lot of missiles that were aimed towards Israel and its civilians,” he said. “It fills us with a sense of fulfillment and purpose, knowing we’re taking out capabilities that the Iranians have to target civilians — our families, our homes.”

Inside the cockpit, he said, there is no room for hesitation. 

“There aren’t any big feelings in the cockpit. It’s the mission. You’re very minded towards it,” he said. “The way back is a little more free to think and to talk with a pilot, but, overall, you’re very, very focused on doing the mission and making sure you don’t do any mistakes — that you’re doing exactly as planned.”

Although the campaign’s immediate objective is the defense of Israeli citizens, the pilot emphasized that the stakes are global. 

“Israel is now fighting the fight of the Western world and Western civilization, taking out the head of the snake and dealing with a threat that’s been imminent for the whole world,” he said.

“Whether it’s terror operations abroad, ballistic missiles or threats to ships in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, we’re fighting a war for the whole world. But, first and foremost, we are fighting for our home.”

He pointed to Iran’s repeated calls for Israel’s destruction as clear justification for the operation. 

“They had missiles pointed at us, their nuclear program was aimed at us. They’ve been saying it openly — in speeches, on social media — they want to destroy us,” he said. “If it wasn’t for the preemptive strike that we took, they would have been able to fulfill that threat in a few years.”

For both, the mission is not only strategic, but deeply patriotic. 

“There’s a clear link between what we’re doing and the safety of the State of Israel,” the pilot added. “We’re destroying precision missiles aimed at our hospitals, at our homes. The nuclear program was aimed toward us. Personally, it’s a very good feeling to take part in this. But it’s also humbling to be part of such a vast operation — this whole machine — the Israeli Air Force and the nation standing together.”