The Israeli military said its air strikes on Iranian air defenses on Saturday gave it greater freedom of movement in Iranian airspace, according to Agence France-Presse.

"Israel now has a wider margin of maneuver in Iran's airspace as well," Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised briefing.

Israel launched three waves of strikes on Iran, covering twenty sites, while Iranian media reported, citing informed sources, that the Israeli offensive operation carried out with “small flying objects” was successfully thwarted.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it had completed its strikes on Iran, and that its aircraft “returned safely” after “hitting facilities used to produce missiles fired by Iran at Israel.” It added that “an additional Iranian surface-to-air missile system and air capabilities were also hit, which were intended to restrict Israel’s freedom of action in Iran.” Iran did not immediately acknowledge any damage to its military facilities.