Operation Roaring Lion: IDF unveils dramatic footage of first-ever strike in 'heart of Tehran' — watch

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released drone-view footage of what it described as a precision strike on a “headquarters of the Iranian terror regime” in central Tehran, calling it the first such attack “in the heart of Tehran” since the launch of Operation “Roaring Lion.”

In a post on its X account, the IDF shared aerial footage showing a building in a dense urban area being struck, followed by a plume of smoke rising from the site. The video was captioned as the “dismantlement” of a regime headquarters and framed as part of a broader campaign targeting what Israel calls core regime infrastructure.





“For the first time since the start of Operation ‘Roaring Lion,’ the IAF is striking targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime in the heart of Tehran,” the IDF said, "Over the past day, the IAF conducted large-scale strikes to establish aerial superiority and pave the path to Tehran."



According to reports, the building seen in the footage is associated with Iran’s state broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). However, the IDF’s official statements have not explicitly named IRIB, instead repeatedly referring to “regime infrastructure,” “military command centres,” and “regime targets.”

Operation Roaring Lion

The IDF has said the initial waves of Operation Roaring Lion are focused on “establishing aerial superiority” over Iranian airspace and “paving the path to Tehran.”

In its operational updates, the military described a multi-stage campaign targeting Iranian air-defence systems, missile launchers and command infrastructure.

According to the IDF, approximately 200 Israeli Air Force fighter jets participated in what it called the largest flyover in IAF history, dropping “hundreds of munitions” on around 500 objectives. These included air-defence systems, missile arrays, regime-linked sites and military command centres across western and central Iran.

US-Israel operation

The strike forms part of a broader, coordinated US–Israeli campaign. Israel refers to its component as Operation “Roaring Lion,” while the US Department of Defense has named its parallel effort “Operation Epic Fury.”

On Saturday, Israeli and US forces launched coordinated strikes across multiple Iranian cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his first public remarks after the strikes that Roaring Lion and Epic Fury aim to remove threats emanating from Tehran and to “empower the Iranian people against the regime,” casting the campaign in both security and political terms.

On the US side, President Donald Trump described the American role as “major combat operations” against Iran, calling it “a massive and ongoing operation” intended to eliminate what he termed “imminent threats from the Iranian regime.” He linked the action to longstanding US concerns over Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and its support for regional proxy groups.