Kamal Ghorui
The Israel defense forces (IDF) has released a short cockpit video on social media showing a fighter pilot flying toward Tehran, as the ongoing war between Israel and Iran entered its second week. The 33-second clip, posted on X by the Israeli military, is captioned: “POV: You’re an IDF pilot OTW to Tehran.”The footage shows multiple fighter jets flying in formation above clouds and mountainous terrain while moving toward their destination. The video was also shared by The Times of Israel, which posted a translated version of what the pilot appears to say in the recording.According to the translation, the pilot says: “We, Israeli Air Force pilots and navigators, are currently flying in formation over the skies of Tehran, en route to strike historic targets.” The message also addresses people in Israel: “We continue to fight, as required around the clock, and feel your support all the time. We wish you, Israeli citizens, a safe and quiet Shabbat.”The pilot’s face appears blurred in the footage, likely to prevent identification.The video emerged as residents across Iran reported hearing large explosions in Tehran and other areas on Saturday morning, according to Al Jazeera, amid continuing Israeli and US military operations.Earlier this week, the Israeli military had released another video showing what it described as an air-to-air engagement over Tehran. In that 16-second clip, an Israeli F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jet was shown shooting down a piloted Yakovlev Yak-130 aircraft belonging to the Iranian Air Force. The IDF said the incident marked its first air-to-air combat kill of a piloted aircraft during the conflict. The broader conflict has continued to escalate. The administration of US president Donald Trump approved a $151-million arms sale to Israel after saying Washington would not negotiate with Iran unless it agreed to what he described as “unconditional surrender.”Meanwhile, Gulf countries reported intercepting more Iranian missiles and drones. Saudi Arabia said it stopped four drones targeting the Shaybah Oil Field, marking the second attempted strike on the facility within hours.Israeli warplanes have continued strikes on targets in Beirut and Tehran. Officials have reported that at least 1,230 people have been killed in Iran, more than 200 in Lebanon, and around a dozen in Israel since the fighting escalated.
