IDF confirms 15,000+ bombs dropped on Iran since Feb 28 — 4x Operation Rising Lion scale

Defence Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir issued an official statement on March 25 confirming that Israeli forces have dropped over 15,000 bombs on Iran since the war began on February 28, 2026. The figure is more than four times the munitions used during Operation Rising Lion — Israel's June 2025 strikes on Iran — which itself was the largest Israeli air operation in history at the time. The 15,000-bomb figure covers all IDF strikes across Iranian territory over 26 days: nuclear and missile sites, leadership compounds, IRGC headquarters, military airbases, naval infrastructure (including the Isfahan Underwater Research Centre), and industrial/economic targets. Averaging ~577 bombs per day. The comparison to Operation Rising Lion contextualizes the scale: the current campaign is sustained, not a one-time strike package, and is consuming munitions at a pace that raises questions about Israeli stockpile sustainability and US resupply timelines. The announcement comes as US forces (82nd Airborne + Marines, ~7,000 total) deploy near Kharg Island, suggesting US is prepared to complement Israeli strikes if the campaign continues.