Ex-envoy says 30 Israeli pilots killed in one of Iran's retaliatory attacks

TABNAK, Jul. 16 - Iran’s former ambassador to Iraq revealed that 30 Israeli pilots were killed during one of Iran’s retaliatory operations in the 12-day war, calling it a major blow to the Israeli regime.

News ID: 6608

Date: 16 July 2025 - 10:19

Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s former ambassador to Iraq, stated during a televised interview that in one of Iran’s operations during the 12-day war, 30 Israeli pilots were killed. “This is no small matter for the [Israeli] regime,” he said, adding that many details have been censored by the regime in Tel Aviv so far.

He emphasized that the enemy’s primary objective was regime change in Iran and the return of the United States to the country, but “they failed to achieve any of their goals.”

Kazemi Qomi stressed that Iran’s armed forces, under the command of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, delivered a heavy blow to Israel, thwarting the enemy's broader agenda in the region, reported Mehr.

While the Zionist regime waged a war of aggression against Iran on June 13 and struck Iran’s military, nuclear and residential areas for 12 days, the US stepped in and conducted military attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran’s Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan on June 22.

The Iranian military forces conducted powerful counterattacks immediately after the aggression. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Aerospace Force carried out 22 waves of retaliatory missile strikes against the Zionist regime as part of Operation True Promise III that inflicted heavy losses on cities across the occupied territories.

Also, in response to the US attacks, Iranian armed forces launched a wave of missiles at al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest American military base in West Asia.

A ceasefire that came into force on June 24 has brought the fighting to a halt.