Overnight, Israeli warplanes attacked military sites in Iran, destroying two main categories of target: ballistic missile manufacturing sites and air defence batteries.
From a military point of view, Iran was humiliated. Tehran was unable to do anything about the attacks and the public awakes to plumes of smoke above the regime’s most sensitive sites across the country this morning.
Israel’s objective, of instating a deterrent, appears to have been achieved. It now has greater aerial freedom of movement across the Islamic Republic. Yet despite Iran’s military humiliation, Jerusalem provided it with an off-ramp, warning of the strikes in advance and allowing the regime to reopen its airspace quickly and downplay the attacks in the media.
The nuclear sites, and other key military infrastructure, are now more vulnerable but have not been obliterated. Most notably, there appear to have been no assassinations of regime leaders or strikes on oil facilities. (Though this may be a good time for Israel to push the button on its characteristic, pinpoint espionage operations inside Iran.)
