Yoav Limor
Israel Hayom, June 24, 2025
“… it is doubtful whether Israel can maintain continuous enforcement without effectively resuming hostilities.”
Israel ended its military campaign against Iran with the upper hand. Senior political and defense officials noted yesterday that all objectives had been fully achieved, though it seems perspective, and a measure of humility, are required to fully assess the situation.
The final chord, like the opening salvo, was intensely charged: from Iran’s coordinated retaliation against US forces in Qatar, to President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement of a ceasefire, and the efforts by both Israel and Iran to exact a maximum price before and even after the proverbial bell, until Trump unceremoniously ordered both sides to stop.
In those final hours, Israel paid a heavy price, with four people killed in Beersheba after striking dozens of additional Iranian targets, particularly arms production infrastructure aimed at delaying future military buildup. Some lamented that Israel had not used the momentum to deliver a harsher blow to regime targets, with the aim of undermining its stability or even toppling it.
But that seemed more like wishful thinking than an actual strategy. In any case, regime change in Tehran was never among Israel’s stated objectives, and it appears an understanding was reached with the US to avoid pursuing it.
Israel had three primary goals in this campaign. The first: to strike Iran’s nuclear program and significantly delay its progress. All indications are that enrichment facilities in Natanz and Fordow, the conversion facility in Isfahan, and the reactor in Arak suffered major damage. However, it remains unclear whether they were rendered completely inoperable. ....SOURCE