Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Jun 14: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have strongly dismissed claims made by Iranian state media that two Israeli F-35 fighter jets were shot down, labelling the report as entirely fabricated.

Iran, earlier on Saturday, asserted that its army’s air defence units had successfully destroyed two Israeli stealth jets, along with several smaller aerial vehicles. However, Israeli officials swiftly responded, branding the narrative as misinformation.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, IDF’s international spokesperson, took to social media platform X to clarify the situation. “This is pure FAKE NEWS,” he posted. “While the Iranian regime spreads lies, we’re focused on neutralizing actual threats—like this Iranian UAV we intercepted over northern Israel this morning,” he added, sharing video evidence of the downing.

Amid the intensifying tensions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the launch of ‘Operation Rising Lion’, a targeted military campaign aimed at thwarting what he described as Iran’s nuclear ambitions that threaten Israel’s survival. Netanyahu declared that the operation would persist until the Iranian threat is completely neutralized.

Further escalating the crisis, Iran launched another wave of missile attacks on Israeli territory early Saturday. This renewed assault, part of the ongoing hostilities, saw two separate barrages of surface-to-surface missiles aimed at Israel.

According to IDF spokesperson Brigadier General Efi Dufferin, “Less than a hundred missiles were launched in total. Most were either intercepted by our air defence systems or failed to reach their targets. Only minimal structural damage has been reported, some due to landslides.”

Gen. Dufferin emphasized Israel’s resolve: “We will not allow Iran to amass weaponry that could pose an existential danger. While additional missile attacks may follow, we are actively working to eliminate this threat at its root.”