Guno צְבִי
We fight, We win, Am Yisrael Chai
There is near-total consensus in Israel, even among critics of the current government, that the Iranian nuclear threat must be eradicated.
Not managed. Not deterred. Eradicated.
That is the context for understanding Operation Rising Lion, Israel’s daring and multifaceted preemptive strike against Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. The assault, launched early Friday morning, is a military operation led by Benjamin Netanyahu, a prime minister many Israelis consider corrupt and unfit. But despite its leader’s dubious qualities, the operation is undoubtedly the right move.
The United States has claimed Israel acted without its involvement — a staggering idea, given that the Israeli Air Force conducted complex strikes deep inside Iranian territory, while the Mossad activated a drone base on Iranian soil and commandos neutralized key defenses. These kinds of operations require flight corridors, real-time satellite data, secure regional communications, and contingency guarantees. American fingerprints may not be public, but I see them everywhere.
The full extent of how this was pulled off — and whether any international partners actually were aware in advance of the full intricacy of the snare — is a story we’ll learn in time. What’s already obvious is that the choreographed misdirection campaign here was extraordinary: Strategic leaks, denials and even staged vacations appear to have lulled Tehran into a false sense of security.
The damage to Iran’s program appears significant. Multiple floors of Natanz, the country’s primary nuclear facility, were reportedly destroyed, including critical centrifuge halls. Israel also targeted nuclear facilities in Isfahan and Fordow as Friday’s attacks unfolded. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps suffered major blows to its command structure. Nuclear scientists were killed.
Still, let’s not delude ourselves: this is not the end of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. More potential future targets remain, including the heavy water plant in Arak.
But there is a physical limit to what Israel can do on its own. The Jewish state does not possess the heavy bunker-busting munitions required to fully take out deeply buried targets like Fordow.
Who does? The United States.
“The results are amazing, and very impressive,” said former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, of Friday’s operation. “But Iran had about 450 kilograms of enriched uranium and … the most delicate parts of the program are 700 or 800 meters underground.”
forward.com
Not managed. Not deterred. Eradicated.
That is the context for understanding Operation Rising Lion, Israel’s daring and multifaceted preemptive strike against Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. The assault, launched early Friday morning, is a military operation led by Benjamin Netanyahu, a prime minister many Israelis consider corrupt and unfit. But despite its leader’s dubious qualities, the operation is undoubtedly the right move.
The United States has claimed Israel acted without its involvement — a staggering idea, given that the Israeli Air Force conducted complex strikes deep inside Iranian territory, while the Mossad activated a drone base on Iranian soil and commandos neutralized key defenses. These kinds of operations require flight corridors, real-time satellite data, secure regional communications, and contingency guarantees. American fingerprints may not be public, but I see them everywhere.
The full extent of how this was pulled off — and whether any international partners actually were aware in advance of the full intricacy of the snare — is a story we’ll learn in time. What’s already obvious is that the choreographed misdirection campaign here was extraordinary: Strategic leaks, denials and even staged vacations appear to have lulled Tehran into a false sense of security.
The damage to Iran’s program appears significant. Multiple floors of Natanz, the country’s primary nuclear facility, were reportedly destroyed, including critical centrifuge halls. Israel also targeted nuclear facilities in Isfahan and Fordow as Friday’s attacks unfolded. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps suffered major blows to its command structure. Nuclear scientists were killed.
Still, let’s not delude ourselves: this is not the end of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. More potential future targets remain, including the heavy water plant in Arak.
But there is a physical limit to what Israel can do on its own. The Jewish state does not possess the heavy bunker-busting munitions required to fully take out deeply buried targets like Fordow.
Who does? The United States.
“The results are amazing, and very impressive,” said former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, of Friday’s operation. “But Iran had about 450 kilograms of enriched uranium and … the most delicate parts of the program are 700 or 800 meters underground.”
Israel's strike on Iran was necessary. But for real change, the US must join the fray
Israel's attack on Iran provides an opening for the US to push for Tehran to end its reign of terror by proxy in the Middle East.
forward.com
