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Why Israel Had to Act

(New York Times) Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin - 44 years ago I sat in the cockpit on the Israeli air force mission that destroyed Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor. In 2007, when I was serving as Israel's chief of defense intelligence, we destroyed a nuclear reactor in Syria built with North Korea's help. Today the challenge of Iran's advanced, deeply fortified, multisite nuclear program is far more complex. Yet, a successful Israeli campaign holds the potential not only to neutralize a grave threat but also to reshape the strategic landscape of the Middle East and make the region profoundly safer. Israel and the U.S. have a rare strategic opening. What has for years been a reactive approach can now be transformed into a proactive vision that curbs Iran's malign ambitions and efforts, stabilizes Gaza, and lays the foundation for a new order built on security, integration and peaceful relations. The operation in Iran offers decision makers a foundation to leverage military action into a broader diplomatic initiative that aims for a strong, enforceable agreement rolling back Iran's nuclear program. It must also prevent Tehran from enriching uranium for military use, block its path to a nuclear weapon, and impose meaningful constraints on its missile arsenal, which poses a threat to the entire region. Together with crippling Iran's proxy network, these steps would significantly decrease the threat to most of America's regional partners. The writer is a former chief of Israeli military intelligence.
2025-06-22 00:00:00
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