Israel took out three of Iran’s Russian-made S-300 missile defense systems during last week’s retaliatory strike against the Islamic Republic, Fox News has learned. 

Israel carried out the strategic airstrike on Oct. 26, marking a significant escalation in the conflict between the two countries during the operation’s chosen name, “Days of Repentance.” The strikes targeted critical military infrastructure, delivering both a symbolic and tactical blow to Iran’s strategic capabilities following Tehran’s attack on Israel weeks earlier.

ISRAEL BEGINS RETALIATORY STRIKES AGAINST IRAN FOLLOWING MISSILE BARRAGE TARGETING ISRAELIS

The Biden administration was informed about Israel’s strike in advance. The targets were chosen in an effort to send a pinpoint message to Iran and to degrade its ability to fire ballistic missiles at Israel anytime soon.

At the start of the year, Iran only had four S300 surface-to-air missile systems. In April, Israel took out one of the missile systems in response to Iran’s first ballistic missile attack. A senior U.S. official confirmed the airstrikes took out the three S-300 missile systems. 

“The majority of Iran’s air defense was taken out.” a senior Israeli official told Fox News. 

On an internal call, President Biden’s adviser for the Middle East, Amos Hochstein, said “Iran is essentially naked” with no more missile defense. 

IT WAS ‘WISE’ FOR ISRAEL TO NOT STRIKE IRANIAN OIL, NUCLEAR FACILITIES, SAYS FORMER USS COLE COMMANDER

A satellite image showing Sharoud Missile Test site reportedly hit by Israel during its weekend attack on Iran. (INTELLITIMES)

Israeli warplanes also took out multiple radar systems that are needed to guide the same ballistic missiles that were fired at Israel in April and on Oct. 1 when Iran fired 181 ballistic missiles at the Jewish state. Many of the missiles were destroyed before reaching their target, and others caused minimal damage, the Department of Defense said. 

Removing the radar systems prevents Iran from firing those missiles in the future, a senior official said. 

“Our message is very, very clear… ‘Any threat, anywhere, at any time, we will know how to reach it, we will know how to strike,’” said Israel Defense Forces Chief of the General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi. 

Halevi emphasized that Israel had only deployed a portion of its capabilities, suggesting that further actions could be taken should Iran escalate.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has urged Iran not to respond to Israel’s strikes. 

Iranian air defense reportedly operating as Israel began striking Iranian targets in Tehran. (Obtained by Fox News)

“We believe that this should be the end of this tit-for-tat,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said during a meeting today with reporters. “We don’t think that Iran should or needs to respond. On Oct. 1, Iran launched the 200 ballistic missiles that were targeting civilian population centers. Israel’s response was targeted at military targets.”

“We see this as a way to off-ramp,” she added. 

Fox News Digital’s Efrat Lachter contributed to this report. 

Russia has launched extensive exercises of its nuclear forces featuring test fire missile launches in a simulation of a retaliatory strike.

President Putin attributed the decision to begin drills to “the emergence of new external threats and risks”, adding that “it is important to have modern and constantly ready-to-use strategic forces”.

The exercises included the test-fire of a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Plesetsk launch pad on the Kamchatka Peninsula, and other ICBMs from the Novomoskovsk and Knyaz Oleg nuclear submarines.

The military also carried out practice launches of long-range cruise missiles from nuclear-capable Tu-95 strategic bombers.

Putin noted that Moscow will continue to modernise its nuclear forces, deploying new missiles that have a higher precision, quicker launch times and increased capabilities to overcome missile defences.

The drills come at a time of escalating tensions with the West, following weeks of signalling by Russia that Moscow will respond if the West allows Ukraine to use Western-supplied longer-range weapons to strike deep inside Russia.

Last month, Putin warned such a move would put NATO at war with Russia.

He also announced a new version of the nuclear doctrine that considers a conventional attack on Russia by a non-nuclear nation that is supported by a nuclear power to be a joint attack on his country.

Putin also declared that the revised document envisages possible nuclear weapons use in case of a massive air attack, holding the door open to a potential nuclear response to any aerial assault – an ambiguity intended to deter the West.

On his visit to Beijing, the President of Finland called on China to assist in de-escalating Russian nuclear activity.

“The final and fifth point I made is that it is very difficult to trust President Putin, especially when it comes to nuclear weapons, and that’s why it’s extremely important that a major power such as China keeps on having dialog with Russia and make sure that we can de-escalate as much as possible,” President Alexander Stubb told a press conference following his meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping.

Tuesday’s manoeuvres follow a series of other drills of Russia’s nuclear forces.

Earlier this year, the Russian military held a joint nuclear exercise with Moscow’s ally Belarus, which has hosted some of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons.