What Can We Learn from Israel’s Attack on Iran

Eyal Tsir Cohen & Jesse R. Weinberg

Source Link

On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a direct and sustained attack on Iran — a calculated and multi-layered military operation that marked the culmination of years of strategic buildup, intelligence assessments, and unheeded warnings. While the world debates the implications, the more important question is: What can we learn from this operation?

Why Now?

To understand the timing, one must recognize the growing urgency in Israeli assessments over the past year. Iran had been accelerating its nuclear enrichment program and advancing weaponization research at an alarming pace. At the same time, it became increasingly immune to deterrence. Iran dismissed U.S. efforts to signal a credible military threat and interpreted international caution as strategic paralysis.

Most critically, Tehran misjudged Israel’s resolve. In the wake of the October 7th attack by Hamas — a day that fundamentally changed Israeli strategic thinking — it became clear that existential threats would no longer be managed with ambiguity. For Israel, the combination of unchecked uranium enrichment and Iranian defiance left no option but military action. War, at this point, was not a question of preference — it was a matter of national survival.

How Did Israel Strike?

The Israeli campaign was defined by one crucial military principle: surprise. The initial phase of the operation targeted Iran’s ability to respond. Israel sought to decapitate both the leadership and the operational infrastructure that could enable a counterstrike. The groundwork for this was laid months earlier, on October 26, 2024, when Israel covertly dismantled key segments of Iran’s air defense systems. This preliminary strike created a corridor of vulnerability, enabling a stealth offensive when the time came.

This was not a one-night strike. It was the opening move in a rolling campaign — and success demanded a wide spectrum of capabilities. By degrading Iran’s layered air defense networks, Israel expanded the operational freedom of its air force for the critical days and weeks that would follow.