In the absence of inside information, but assuming a continuation of the proven track record of the Israeli Air Force, last week’s Israeli operation in Iran was utterly masterful, both in conception and execution.
Even before it began, Israel seems to have managed to secure a package of concessions from the United States (including, but not limited to, the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense batteries) in exchange for agreeing not to target Iranian energy and nuclear sites.
On the way to Iran, Israel destroyed radar and anti-aircraft batteries in Syria and Iraq. In Iran, Israel:
1. Neutralized anti-aircraft and anti-missile defenses (important for the current and possibly future offensive operations.)
2. Attacked ballistic missile (and UAV?) manufacturing facilities.
3. Demoralized the Iranian regime and encouraged internal opposition, practically forcing a risky retaliation in the near future.
4. Reportedly did not harm civilians, thus avoiding a possible “rally around the flag” effect.
5. Did not provoke an Iranian attack against the oil facilities of Arab countries (which would have been deleterious to the United States and the European Union, as well as to China—but beneficial to Russia.)
6. Did not interfere with the U.S. election.
7. May have damaged the Parchin technology complex southeast of Tehran, officially “only” a military installation and thus “fair game” in this phase but, in reality, a significant facility knowingly used for nuclear weapons-related experiments.
8. Lost no Israeli pilots or aircraft.
9. Carried out an important “dress rehearsal” for a possible attack against major Iranian nuclear installations (between the election and inauguration of the new American president?).
It is simply amazing what the IAF was able to do: In under 24 hours, it attacked military targets in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran! (Yemen was spared this time around but was severely attacked twice in the recent past).
There are probably only two countries in the West capable of doing that: the United States and Israel—except that the United States tends to restrict itself to defensive operations while Israel does not.
KOL HAKAVOD!!!