We are now in day five: we began this essential war in the early hours of last Friday morning — with a massive attack on Iran.
John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute and codirector of the Urban Warfare Project West Point, describes it so well (emphasis added):
“…Israel’s war against Iran is still ongoing. But what has already unfolded will be studied for decades.
“Israel’s current military operation against Iran is officially called Operation Rising Lion, launched on June 13, 2025, with a sweeping and precise preemptive strike. The operation was not just historic. It was transformational. It redefined what shock and awe can look like in the 21st century.
“This was not merely a strike. It was a campaign—a layered, synchronized demonstration of modern operational art, built on deep intelligence, strategic deception, and the innovative fusion of old and new tools of war.”
For details:
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Spencer describes the situation with sharp military eyes. He is wrong about none of it. But many of us here in Israel call what we achieved on that first day – and much that we have achieved since – a nes, a miracle.
The element of surprise – a powerful tool in the initiation of this war – was enormous. There was a huge debate ongoing as to whether Trump would support Israel in a war against Iran. He was still pumping for a negotiated deal and was still saying that the possibility of such a deal existed.
Now Trump says, “I knew.” While apparently pushing for a negotiated deal, he understood that Iran’s time had run out. “I gave them 60 days, and they didn’t meet it…Today’s 61, you know. Today’s day 61.
“They had a great chance to make a deal. Iran did. They had a great chance to make a deal, and they didn’t make it.””
At home, the Israeli government was engaged in issues such has the haredi draft that gave little indication of the momentous actions about to come. In many instances, possibly including plans for the wedding event of Avner Netanyahu, there is belief that there may have been subterfuge.
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The Mossad had been working inside Iran for years and had smuggled in explosive drones that took down Iranian air defenses when Israel jets began the attack. This is mind-boggling, the sort of venture that evokes a sense of miracle: that it all – in its myriad details – came off as planned.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/06/15/how-mossad-managed-to-attack-iran-from-within/
A number of high-level Iranian officials, political and military, were taken out at the start of the attack, causing confusion. Apparently the Mossad engineered a meeting of top military officials so that they might be eliminated in one attack.
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Let me clear, my friends, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is the hero of the day. It is not only Israel, but the world, that owes him a huge debt of gratitude.
Iran, when finished with Israel, would have turned its weapons on US installations and the western world more broadly. We are fighting for the world – a world that has chosen to malign us most of the time.
He foresaw the dangers of an Iran seeking nuclear capacity and spent decades attempting to warn a complacent world. At some level, I believe, he was not only warning the world, he was delivering advance notice of the fact that Israel WOULD act when it became necessary.
When this is over, will the world be grateful to Israel? There is solid reason to question this, based on our experience to date. However, it is apparent that some nations are staying mum now but may be very glad indeed. This, I think, is particularly true of the Gulf nations, which fear Iran.
And I am pleased to read that German Chancellor Frederich Merz – who is speaking out – says that “This is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us. We are also victims of this regime. This mullah regime has brought death and destruction to the world.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/410186
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Netanyahu swore that he would not let Iran go nuclear and I always believed him.
He ordered the attack on Thursday because intelligence made it clear that Iran was very close and there was no time to be lost: Iran has enriched enough uranium for nine nuclear bombs, and in recent months has taken unprecedented steps toward weaponization.
“We can’t leave these threats for the next generation,” Netanyahu said, explaining that the operation would continue for “as many days as it takes.
“Because if we don’t act now, there will not be another generation. If we don’t act now, we simply won’t be here. We have internalized the lessons of history. When an enemy says he intends to destroy you — believe him.”
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After the initiation of the attack, the Israeli Air Force very quickly gained air superiority over Iran and in the last four days has inflicted enormous damage on Iranian military installations.
The goal of the Israeli attacks is eliminating all of Iran’s nuclear capacity.
Serious damage by Israel has been done at Natanz: A major above‑ground enrichment hall was destroyed, together with ancillary electrical and support systems. The IAEA reported the fracture of power supplies, severely damaging the facility’s underground centrifuges – approximately 14,000 in number.
Similar damage was done at Isfahan: The conversion plant and fuel‑plate fabrication facilities—critical to uranium processing—were heavily damaged, with at least four core buildings destroyed.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/410097
The most problematic enrichment site is at Fordow, buried in rock very deep underground. In the Israeli attack, above‑ground structures were damaged. But the centrifuge cascades—buried deep under rock—were not hit.
Until Fordow is destroyed, the military goals have not been achieved. The US has the equipment – huge bunker busters, etc. – that could do the job.
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LET IT BE NOTED CLEARLY HERE: ISRAEL HITS ONLY MILITARY TARGETS, WHILE IRAN HAS BEEN DELIBERATELY HITTING ISRAELI CIVILIAN AREAS WITH BALLISTIC MISSILES.
The Iranian missiles have been launched primarily at key centers in the Tel Aviv area – including at such communities as Petah Tikva and Bat Yam – and in the Haifa area. Some 25 Israeli civilians have been killed and hundreds wounded. In a handful of instances, entire apartment buildings have been destroyed. Newer residential buildings provide a mamad, a reinforced secure room for each apartment. Older buildings – of which there are many – do not have secure rooms. Residents must seek shelter in a miklat – a shared shelter in the basement of the building or elsewhere nearby. The Home Front Command has an excellent system for warning people to head to their shelters.
In the first days, Iran, with each attack on Israel sent a barrage of hundreds of missiles. About 85% to 90% are taken down each time but some hit their mark.
More recently, attacks have involved fewer missiles and are less frequent. While we have hit missile caches, we have not yet eliminated all missiles. The Iranians may be hoarding their diminishing but still considerable supply. But it is also the case that we have taken out about 1/3 of their launchers, perhaps more at this point, which restricts the number of missiles that can be launched at one time.
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Israelis are fatigued and tense, but let it be very, very clear: the Jews of Israel are solidly with our prime minister with regard to the need to finish the job. This is without exception, including factions in the opposition. We stand as one now, resolutely. (Reports indicate that there are groups of Israeli Arabs who feel otherwise.)
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The question is being raised as to whether we should take out Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, supreme leader of Iran. It has been suggested that this would escalate the conflict. Netanyahu says quite the contrary, it would finish the conflict.
There were reports that Trump was opposed to attacking the Ayatollah, but Bibi said this was false news.
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Trump’s position in support of Israel has become far clearer in the last few days. It is difficult to know sometimes, as his words do not necessarily comport with his actions.
He had been speaking about the need for Israel to hold off on attack so that all efforts to secure a deal might be exhausted first. But, as I indicated above, he knew we were going to attack and was not opposed.
There may be reason to believe that he was originally convinced that the matter of a nuclear Iran might be handled diplomatically but became convinced of the need for Israel to attack as evidence was brought to his attention.
In fact, he covertly transferred 300 Hellfire missiles (AGM-114 Hellfire) to Israel, last Saturday. These are precision-guided missiles for air-to-ground attacks, which previous administrations had refused to transfer to Israel.
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-857663
It remains to be seen whether Trump will actively join the attack on Iran – which would finish the matter – or will provide intelligence and equipment to assist Israel.
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Statements put out by Trump today demonstrate fairly clearly the direction in which he is going. Posting on his Truth Social platform today (Tuesday): “We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran.” We??
By his third post of the day, he called for Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/410187
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Iran is hurting badly and has called for ceasefire negotiations. The Iranians had implored Qatar to help in this regard. But at the moment Trump is not interested in negotiations. Iran must be hit some more first, he said, calling for civilian evacuation of Tehran. “I didn’t say I was looking for a ceasefire,” he told reporters. “I want a real end, with Iran giving up entirely on nuclear weapons.”
In any event, Israel would not agree to any sort of “deal” with Iran, which is totally untrustworthy. Today, Defense Minister Katz said, that the only talks taking place between Israel and Iran are those “between our missiles and their targets.”
“We are about to strike very significant targets—strategic targets, regime and infrastructure targets—inside Tehran,” he said, also indicating that Fordow would be dealt with.
https://www.jns.org/katz-no-negotiations-with-iran-idf-to-hit-very-significant-targets-soon/
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Katz was not the only one to allude to something big to come later this week. Israeli Ambassador to the US Yehiel Leiter has hinted that the world should brace for a “surprise” later this week in Israel’s ongoing strikes against Iran—one, he said, that will make the Mossad’s recent Hezbollah pager operation seem “simple” by comparison.
He said we were progressing ahead of schedule and I have picked up possible estimates of our completing the job in one to two weeks.
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The situation is so very dynamic. And so, I will leave the reporting for now, awaiting our next moves.
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I ask for prayers for Israel’s success in our war with Iran. Pray for the wisdom and courage of our leaders.
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©Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution.
