(Israel Hayom) Meir Ben Shabbat - The Israeli operation has left the regime in Tehran stunned. The boldness of the move, the depth of the intelligence penetration, the quality and variety of operational capabilities, the number of targets hit, and the absolute freedom of action in the airspace has far exceeded what the Iranians thought possible. The regime's failure to protect its personnel and assets adds to its failure to deter Israel or prevent and disrupt the assault. The operation has exposed the regime's weakness, not only in the eyes of its own citizens but also to the proxy forces under its patronage and to the countries of the region. However, the mission is far from over. The ayatollah regime has already proven during its war with Iraq its ability to endure prolonged hardship, even at a high cost. As the recent missile launches targeting densely populated areas in Israel reaffirm, Iran will use any means or target to exact revenge and restore its honor. Israel must aim for the war to end not just with a devastating blow to Iran's nuclear and missile programs but also with enforceable mechanisms that will, for many years, prevent the Islamic Republic from rebuilding its military and strategic capabilities. The writer, head of the Misgav Institute for National Security & Zionist Strategy, is a former Israeli national security advisor and head of the National Security Council who served for 30 years in the Israel Security Agency.
2025-06-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive