Direct proof of use
The F-16D Barak was documented in Israeli use during the 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict as part of Operation Rising Lion. Foreign Policy Research Institute analysis of IDF-released photos and videos says JDAM-family weapons appeared on several Israeli fighter types during the air offensive, including Block 40 F-16C and Block 30 F-16D Barak aircraft.
Jerusalem Post reporting, citing Walla and Army Radio, separately states that Israel's older F-16 Barak aircraft took part in June 2025 strikes against Iran and identifies the Barak fleet as F-16 C and D models. The report says the older F-16s reached Iran without aerial refueling after range-extension work at Ramat David Air Base, where they were stationed.
Sources: FPRI Rising Lion Air Offensive Part I, Jerusalem Post Barak Upgrade Report
Timeline
On June 13, 2025, Israel opened Operation Rising Lion with strikes against Iranian military, nuclear, air-defense, missile, and leadership targets. Congressional Research Service reporting reproduced by USNI News describes the opening as a major Israeli operation that included air strikes and reported covert action, followed by Iranian ballistic-missile retaliation.
On July 3, 2025, an Israeli Air Force article said Barak aircraft had the highest strike volume among the aircraft types involved in the Iran operation, ranking the veteran F-16C Barak first and saying upgraded systems kept the aircraft operationally relevant. That official article supports the Barak fleet's central strike role, while FPRI and Jerusalem Post provide the F-16D-inclusive evidence used for this record.
Sources: USNI CRS Israel-Iran Conflict, IDF Aircraft Ranking Iran, FPRI Rising Lion Air Offensive Part I, Jerusalem Post Barak Upgrade Report
Narrative
The supported role for the F-16D Barak in the conflict was long-range strike and interdiction by the Israeli Air Force. The evidence separates the aircraft's use from mere possession: FPRI identifies Block 30 F-16D Barak aircraft among platforms seen carrying JDAM-family weapons in IDF imagery from the operation, and Jerusalem Post reporting says F-16 C and D Barak aircraft took part in the June strikes against Iran.
The Barak evidence also shows why the older aircraft mattered during the campaign. Jerusalem Post reported that the older F-16s reached Iran without aerial refueling, freeing tanker capacity for other combat aircraft, after a modification at Ramat David Air Base extended their effective range. Israel National News, reporting remarks by IAF commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, similarly said F-16 Barak fighters from the Barak Squadron conducted airstrikes in Iran without midair refueling and flew ranges of roughly 1,500 to 2,200 kilometers.
Public sources do not provide a complete target list for individual F-16D Barak sorties. The available record supports Israeli operation of the type in the June 2025 air campaign, JDAM-family precision-weapon carriage in operation imagery, and range-extended participation in strikes against Iran rather than a detailed sortie-by-sortie account.
Sources: FPRI Rising Lion Air Offensive Part I, Jerusalem Post Barak Upgrade Report, Israel National News F-16 Barak Iran
