'System Shock': The secret IAF protocol that brought Iran's air defenses to its knees

Israel’s Operation Rising Lion included a daring air force strike over Tehran, part of a secret plan to destabilize Iran’s defenses and leadership system.

“Alpha… Alpha… Alpha,” the strike code echoed repeatedly inside the Air Force’s underground command center, known as the Pit, during Operation Rising Lion. Yet in those moments, there was silence. For the first time since the operation began, the Israel Air Force struck targets as aircraft closed the distance, circled over Iranian airspace, and destroyed them - not from hundreds of kilometers away, but in Tehran itself.

The strike marked the edge of the IDF’s operational capability, once considered science fiction. The military succeeded in carrying out a highly classified plan, revealed here for the first time.

“One thing you can be sure of that happened: Everyone in the command and control rooms was sweating,” a senior Air Force officer said. “The tension was immense because of the fear of Iranian surprises. When the ‘Alpha’ reports were broadcast at breakneck speed and the munitions struck their targets, everyone was busy figuring out who broke through to the heart of Tehran and who carried out the precision strikes. They are legends now in the corps. This is not an exaggeration.”

According to him, remotely piloted aircraft were shot down by Iranian missiles during the operation, but no manned aircraft were lost.

A critical component of Operation Rising Lion was an intelligence-operational-technological plan known as “Stand-in Tehran” (SIT). The ultra-secret initiative involved fighter pilots using advanced weapons from extremely close ranges, catching Iran’s dense air defense network off guard.

Baram’s system shock doctrine

The IDF’s systemic concept for the operation was drawn as a triangle resting on three pillars: Israel’s air defenses and civilian home front; a strategic surprise strike at a distance of 2,000 km, which evolved into Operation Narnia and included the elimination of 14 nuclear scientists; and Operation Red Wedding, the assassination of senior Iranian security officials. Alongside these, SIT emerged from the mind of Amir Baram, then deputy chief of staff and now director-general of the Defense Ministry.

Sources familiar with the planning said Baram emphasized the concept of “system shock” (Systemschock), a doctrine developed between World War I and II. It refers to an adversary’s psychological and organizational collapse after a sudden and precise blow that disrupts command, control, communications, and morale.

In hindsight, this was the effect of the IDF’s opening strike in Iran and subsequent attacks on the Revolutionary Guards and military facilities.

In the year leading up to the operation, the IDF weighed how to prepare for a potential campaign against Iran’s nuclear project. Intelligence reports increasingly pointed to a shift in Iranian behavior, with greater aggression and radicalization. Baram concluded that a first strike had to surprise and destabilize the system.

On September 15, 2024, he convened a General Staff workshop with representatives from the Planning Directorate, Military Intelligence, Mossad, the Air Force, Cyber Defense, and the Defense Ministry. He told participants that although striking over Tehran sounded unrealistic due to distance and risk, it was essential to achieve a historic result against Iran.

From concept to operational plan

Some officers were skeptical, but Baram insisted the concept was viable. Each branch was tasked with contributing its comparative advantage to build the operation, which was classified “top secret” from the outset.

By November 6, 2024, the idea had been developed into practical steps. Brig.-Gen. Omer Tishler, the Air Force chief of staff, was singled out for his role in identifying the plan’s potential. Soon afterward, SIT was formulated as official doctrine.

Unlike the “standoff” concept of firing munitions from hundreds of kilometers away, SIT meant penetrating deep into enemy territory. Bringing aircraft closer accelerated and expanded target destruction.

A veteran pilot said, “Every kilometer of flight from Israel is calculated. Adding unexpected events and weapons loads makes it a very costly process. But it rests on decades of capabilities and the quality of both air and ground crews. Anyone who examines what the Air Force achieved understands this.”

On November 7, 2024, SIT became a formal program, and the Air Force began training on it before presenting it to the General Staff and political echelon. Days later, Defense Minister Israel Katz told senior commanders: “Iran is more exposed today than ever to strikes on its nuclear facilities. There is an opportunity to achieve the most important goal: to remove the existential threat to the State of Israel.”

By November 20, Baram declared the concept an actionable plan and allocated NIS 2.6 billion directly from the IDF budget to accelerate the program.

“It was a huge challenge because it came at the expense of other projects,” said a source familiar with the process. “But the urgency was obvious, and it later proved extremely worthwhile operationally.”

Weekly reviews ensured the buildup progressed according to plan until the Air Force declared it was ready for final orders.