In a bold move that has sent shockwaves across the globe, Israel has intensified its offensive against Iran, extending its targets beyond the nuclear and military sphere.
In a recent development, the Jewish state launched an airstrike on the state broadcaster in Tehran, Iran's capital. The aftermath of the attack was captured on camera, showing the building ablaze and the on-air anchor fleeing amidst smoke and falling debris. Israel's Defense Minister, Israel Katz, made a stern declaration, "We will strike the Iranian dictator everywhere."
Simultaneously, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with ABC News, did not dismiss the possibility of assassinating Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He stated, "It's not going to escalate the conflict, it's going to end the conflict."
As reported by The Washington Free Beacon, Israel targeted Iranian energy, aviation, and manufacturing infrastructure.
Following the surprise military campaign launch on Friday, Netanyahu addressed the Iranian people, promising that the military would "clear the path for you to achieve your freedom."
Netanyahu urged the Iranian people to rally around their flag and historical legacy, to stand up for their freedom against the "evil and oppressive regime." He said, "The Islamic regime, which has oppressed you for almost 50 years, threatens to destroy our country."
These actions and statements from Israel indicate a growing willingness to overthrow the clerical regime that has ruled Iran for decades and has consistently sought Israel's destruction.
However, regime change was not among the war goals approved by Israels security cabinet prior to the campaign, according to current and former Israeli officials. Yet, Israels unexpected early success, coupled with Irans daily bombardment of Israeli population centers, has led decision-makers to contemplate the possibility.
Ohad Tal, a Knesset member from the Religious Zionist party who sits on the powerful Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, outlined Israel's five official goals for the campaign. These include degrading Irans nuclear capabilities, dismantling its ballistic missile infrastructure, preventing its plans to destroy Israel, creating conditions to end its nuclear program altogether, and minimizing civilian casualties. Tal emphasized, "If you really want to get rid of the nuclear program, you have to take down the regime. Otherwise, youre just postponing their ability to go back to develop the program."
Amir Avivi, a former senior Israeli military official, echoed this sentiment, stating that "there is serious consideration of toppling the regime completely and creating the terms for the Iranian people to rise up and take over the country." When asked how Israel might facilitate regime change, Avivi's response was blunt: "Kill the leadership. All of them."
However, Yossi Kuperwasser, a former senior Israeli intelligence officer, and Yaakov Amidror, a retired Israeli major general, cautioned that Israel's ability to determine who rules Iran is limited. Amidror stated, "Israel can shake the regime and make it much weaker. Israel cannot produce an opposition. It is beyond our capacity."
Despite these limitations, Israel has diversified its targets in Iran, with nearly all of them having a military component. For instance, a strike on the Mashad Airport hit a refueling plane, and an electronics factory in the central city of Shiraz, which produced radar and other equipment for the Iranian military, was destroyed. Israel has also targeted energy infrastructure critical to the regimes domestic power grid.
In a strategic move to undermine the mullahs' credibility, Israel issued an evacuation warning to much of Tehran ahead of Monday's strike on the public broadcaster. Israeli energy analyst Eran Efrat suggests that Israels choice of energy targets aims to "make the day-to-day life of the normal Iranian person impossible, and maybe push the people to the streets" without causing a spike in global energy prices.
As the conflict escalates, Iran has fired more than 370 ballistic missiles and dozens of drones at Israeli cities. However, Israel has continued to deplete Irans ballistic missile arsenal. According to the military, Iran began the war with around 2,000 ballistic missiles and roughly 400 launchers. As of Monday, about one-third of those launchers had been destroyed, and Iran had fired at least 370 missiles at Israel.
Israeli officials estimate that Iran will exhaust its remaining missiles within one to two weeks. They also believe that Israel will need at least another two to three weeks to accomplish the main goal of its campaign. Yossi Kuperwasser, a former head of the Israeli militarys Research and Assessment Division, revealed that Israels initial assault destroyed Irans uranium metal conversion facilities and killed multiple senior nuclear scientists.
However, the regimes most heavily fortified underground enrichment site, Fordow, remains intact. Kuperwasser, Avivi, and others suggest that only U.S. strategic bombers can destroy it. "We have plans to finish the job without the Americans," Kuperwasser said. "But it would be much easier with them." This ongoing conflict underscores the precarious balance of power in the Middle East and the high stakes involved for both Israel and Iran.
Login