Israeli drones disable Iranian defenses ahead of F‑35 strikes, highlighting Israel’s expanding use of off-the-shelf technology in clandestine warfare and marking one of the deepest incursions into Iranian territory to date.

By the time Israel’s advanced F-35 jet fighters swooped in to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities and military leadership, a lower-tech threat had already crossed the border and was in position to clear the way.

The retaliatory strikes came on Saturday, a day after Israel killed top Iranian military leaders and scientists and destroyed an aboveground nuclear enrichment plant near Natanz.