Israel’s military capabilities across the board are superior to Iran’s.
Israel and Iran’s decades-long “shadow war” has officially come to an end. On June 12, Israel’s Air Force and intelligence services launched unprecedented barrages in Iran, targeting nuclear sites and top scientists on the ground. In the aftermath of the strikes, Israel is preparing for retaliation. The sweeping barrages carried out by Israel could very well change the landscape of the Middle East for years to come. While Israeli officials have long warned that Iran’s continued expansion of its nuclear-related activities would be thwarted at some point, the timing still came as somewhat a surprise to the international community. However, based on Tehran’s increasingly malign behavior throughout the region, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) argues the timing was imperative. “If we don’t act now, there will not be another generation,” warned Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
What Happened
The crux of the Israeli attack centered on Iran’s nuclear facilities. In its efforts to eliminate Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, over 100 targets were struck, including multiple in Tehran and the key uranium enrichment site Natanz. According to the IDF, “the underground area of the site was damaged,” adding that “this area contains a multi-story enrichment hall with centrifuges, electrical rooms, and additional supporting infrastructure. In addition, critical infrastructure enabling the site’s continuous operation and the Iranian regime’s ongoing efforts to obtain nuclear weapons were targeted.” IAF strikes also targeted what Israel called “hideouts” for senior operatives, top nuclear scientistsm and other figures high up in Iran’s military leadership. Senior Iranian officials reported that Gen. Esmail Ghaani, the Quds Forces commander in charge of Iran’s regional proxy groups, had been killed in the strikes. Ghaani notably served as the replacement for Gen. Qassim Suleimani, who was killed in a US strike back in 2020.
While air strikes carried out the brunt of Israel’s nuclear-related strikes, intelligence operatives also played critical roles in the overall attack. Stunning footage depicting Mossad agents on the ground in Iran covertly taking action against the nation’s air defenses and ballistic missile launchers has widely circulated social media. The Times of Israel also noted that Mossad had constructed a secret explosive drone base from within Iranian territory that was used to impede retaliatory strikes following the initial barrage.
How Did Israel Do It?
Israel unquestionably possesses the most dominant military across the Middle East. In terms of aircraft, fire power, air defense systems, and advanced technologies, Israel’s military capabilities across the board are superior to Iran’s. In terms of the June 12 strikes, Israel’s fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35Is and F-16Is in addition to Boeing F-15Is played prominent roles in the nuclear site strikes. According to sources, the IDF appears to have deployed a combination of air-to-air and air-launched ballistic missiles, in addition to GPS-guided munitions.
Under Israeli law, preventative strikes should be carried out to prevent enemies’ capability to possess weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. The Begin Doctrine has been employed before to justify Israeli attacks to target the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq in 1981 and a Syrian nuclear facility years later.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: Andreas Zeitler / Shutterstock.com
