Israel-Iran Conflict: How Israel Gained Air Superiority Over Tehran

Two days after the June 13 attack on Iran, the Israeli military seized control of the air corridor leading from Israel to Tehran. This domination represents the culmination of a long war against Iran and its proxies in the "axis of resistance": Hezbollah, the Syrian regime, and Iraqi militias. After years of indirect clashes, Israel took advantage of a favorable context to act head-on, intensifying pressure in successive stages.

The first shift took place in April 2024. On the ^1st , Israel destroyed an Iranian consular building, killing several Revolutionary Guard officers. The first-ever direct confrontation between the two regional powers followed. On April 13, Iran targeted Israeli territory for the first time, notably the Nevatim airbase in the Negev, with a salvo of 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles. The attack, which had been announced, caused limited damage. On April 19, the Israeli army responded in a measured but sharp manner: its air force destroyed a Russian-made S-300 anti-aircraft battery, tasked with defending the nuclear facilities at Isfahan and Natanz. "This [is] a strategic signal strike to remind people of Israel's ability to attack any target located in Iran," analyses Pierre Razoux, academic director of the Mediterranean Foundation for Strategic Studies, in a study published on May 20 on the challenges of air superiority in the Middle East.

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