Israel lured senior commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air force into a deadly ambush by manipulating their movements ahead of a precision airstrike on a secret underground command site, a senior Israeli security official told Fox News.

“We carried out specific activities to help us learn more about them, and then used that information to influence their behavior,” the official said. “We knew this would lead them to meet — but more importantly, we knew how to keep them there.”

The strike, which reportedly killed much of the IRGC’s air force leadership, was described by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz as a major blow to Iran’s military infrastructure. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the operation, said the impact of the strike exceeded Israel’s expectations.

In addition to decimating high-ranking IRGC officers, Israeli forces reportedly destroyed air defense systems and ballistic missiles that Israeli intelligence believes were being prepared for potential use against the country.