Episode #111: Operation Rising Lion and US Response Options

Aug 2, 2025

🎙️ Episode 111 – Operation Rising Lion: Israel’s Knockout Blow to Iran! Strap in for the 111th episode of the Lessons from the Cockpit show! I’m Mark Hasara, retired Air Force KC-135 pilot, Weapons School graduate, and the guy who’s been obsessed with aviation for over 60 years.

 

This episode dives into one of the most aggressive and precise modern air campaigns we’ve seen in decades—Operation Rising Lion. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) just delivered a massive punch to Iran’s military command, nuclear program scientists, religious leaders, and ballistic missile forces.

💥 Israeli Airpower Hits Hard Using F-35s, F-15I Strike Eagles, and F-16I Sufas, the Israeli Air Force launched kinetic and non-kinetic attacks deep into Iranian territory. This was no random strike. This was a highly coordinated, multi-domain air campaign: Precision JDAMs targeted hardened bunkers and key infrastructure. Intelligence from Mossad and Special Forces built the target sets and crafted chains of events. Senior Iranian military leaders were eliminated with extreme precision. Ballistic missile sites were neutralized in a matter of days. The US over the last four days deployed KC-135 and KC-46 tankers to Europe to get ahead of future events. B-52s are now part of the stable of aircraft on the island of Diego Garcia, in bed with B-2 stealth bombers and F-15E Strike Eagle fighter bombers.

 

The Trump Administration is keeping their options open by making the Iranian Regime back down. This is what a flexible deterrent option looks like—diplomatic and economic pressure backed by air dominance and decisive leadership. 

 

And yes, this is about more than bombs—it’s about giving the Iranian people a fighting chance to reclaim their country from a regime obsessed with destruction.

 

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Thanks for flying with me. Keep your head on a swivel. And remember:

 

Nobody Kicks Ass Without Tanker Gas… NOBODY!