By Ivan Kesic

Today marks the first anniversary of the historic and game-changing Operation True Promise I, which took place on the intervening night of April 13–14 last year, when the Islamic Republic of Iran demonstrated its military prowess by launching a barrage of ballistic missile and drone strikes against the Zionist entity.

The unprecedented operation led by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) came in response to the dastardly Israeli attack on Iran’s diplomatic mission in Syria—considered de facto Iranian territory—prompting Tehran to reconsider its long-standing doctrine of strategic restraint.

At the time, it was the largest ballistic missile attack Iran had ever carried out, until a larger, more extensive, and more powerful Operation True Promise II was executed in October of the same year.

True Promise I altered the equations in a way that shook the foundation of the illegitimate Zionist entity and sent a powerful message to the regime and its Western backers.

What was the motive for Op. True Promise I?

The Iranian retaliatory operation was launched in response to the Israeli terrorist attack on the Iranian consulate two weeks prior to that in Syrian capital Damascus, which violated international law and the Vienna Conventions.

Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in the IRGC’s Quds Force, his deputy General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, and five other military officers were martyred in the cowardly attack.

According to reports, the Israeli airstrike was planned months in advance and went through the entire system of approvals and oversight within the Israeli regime, including an assessment of Tehran’s likely response.

That assessment concluded that Iran’s response would be “limited,” as it had been in previous incidents following the martyrdom of several Iranian military advisors in Syria.

That proved to be a major miscalculation, as top Iranian officials, including the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, vowed a “decisive response.”

Previously, Iran had demonstrated similar resolve when it fired missiles at American occupation bases in Iraq in retaliation for the US strike that martyred top anti-terror commander General Qasem Soleimani—despite the risk of escalation into open war.

What preceded Op. True Promise I?

Prior to the Iranian retaliatory military operation, a series of cyberattacks targeted the Zionist regime’s power grid and radar systems just hours before a barrage of drones and missiles pounded the occupied Palestinian territories.

A hacking group by the name “Cyber Av3ngers” issued a statement claiming responsibility for disrupting electricity in various parts of the occupied territories. A widespread blackout was reported in several districts of Tel Aviv.

The group emphasized that the cyberattack, launched from the south to the north, was in response to the Zionist regime’s genocidal war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.

In the hours leading up to the military operation, reports also emerged that Israeli radars were under cyberattack, forcing the closure of airspace over the occupied territories.

Responsibility for this cyber operation was claimed by the hacker group “Hanzaleh Bammad,” which released visual evidence and stated that the attack was in retaliation for the Israeli military’s attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

How was Op. True Promise I carried out?

At approximately 11:00 PM Iran time, the IRGC Aerospace Division announced the launch of the retaliatory military operation with four swarms of kamikaze drones toward the Zionist entity.

The initial wave consisted of dozens of Shahed-136 drones, estimated at around 100 units. This low-observable, low-signature loitering munition has a range of 2,000 kilometers and carries a 50-kilogram warhead.

While official footage and photographs of the swarms have not been released, private recordings captured the drones flying over night skies in Iran and neighboring Iraq.

Although relatively slow and requiring five hours to reach the occupied territories, these drones were primarily intended to overwhelm the Israeli regime’s air defense systems.

Following the initial wave, three more attacks were launched at intervals of roughly half an hour. It is estimated that between 150 and 500 drones were deployed in this phase.

The Tel Aviv regime was supported by the air forces of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Jordan in intercepting these inexpensive drones, as per reports.

Subsequently, a series of cruise and ballistic missiles—including Kheibar Shekan, Ghadr-110, Emad, and Fattah—were launched as part of the next phase of the operation.

These advanced ballistic missiles, with ranges from 1,500 to 2,500 kilometers, carried warheads weighing between 500 kilograms and 1.5 tons.

At the same time, Axis of Resistance groups from Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon launched their own drone and missile strikes on the Zionist entity, overwhelming the regime’s already weak military systems.

While precise numbers have not been officially disclosed, estimates suggest Iran launched 30 to 40 cruise missiles, such as the Paveh type, and between 100 and 120 ballistic missiles that night.

The Israeli regime claimed to have shot down a significant number of Iranian weapons, which was contradicted by numerous private videos that captured a barrage of missiles making impact across the occupied territories.

Images of Iranian missiles streaking through the night sky above the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem Al-Quds became iconic, demonstrating the might of Iranian armed forces, especially in drones and missiles. 1

Primary targets included military installations belonging to the Zionist regime, stretching from the occupied Golan Heights to the Negev Desert. These included the Nevatim Air Base, which hosts F-35 warplanes used in the terrorist attack on Iran’s Damascus consulate.

This base was struck by at least seven missiles—possibly hypersonic Fattah missiles—with video evidence confirming that not a single missile was intercepted.

Additional footage verified that Ramon Air Base, another major site in the Negev, was also struck by multiple missiles, leaving significant destruction.

What message did Op. True Promise I send?

With this operation, Iran sent a powerful message that the Israeli regime or its allies will not get away with their foolhdardy military adventurism against Iran.

This was further demonstrated during Operation True Promise II in October, 2024.

Through this operation, Iran exercised its rights under international law, as attacks on diplomatic missions constitute violations of the Vienna Convention, while Article 51 of the UN Charter enshrines the inherent right of self-defense of sovereign nations.

Militarily, Iran showcased its technological sophistication with precision strikes executed over long distances and demonstrated superiority over widely publicized Israeli and Western military systems.

Unlike the Israeli regime, which continues to commit genocidal acts against tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians, Iran exhibited considerable restraint and rationality by exclusively targeting strategic military sites.