Israel's overwhelming military hegemony
Seconds out! This is the phrase uttered by boxing referees to signal the end of the break, usually one minute long, between one round and the next in a boxing match. It means that the respective trainers and coaches of each of the two boxers must leave them alone and immediately leave the area marked by the twelve ropes.
Something similar is happening in the Middle East, where in recent years, and especially since October 7, 2023, Israel has been facing Iran's “seconds,” that is, the organizations supported, financed, and even trained by the theocratic regime in Tehran. Ultimately, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Islamic Jihad will be sidelined, leaving Israel and Iran to face off directly.
The military operation “Rising Lion,” carried out by Israel in the early hours of Friday, June 13, has disrupted the routine of this confrontation, previously punctuated by surgical operations such as the elimination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniya on July 31, 2024, while he was in Tehran.
This time, the operation, which was extremely complex and prepared for years, has added new luster to the Mossad's reputation, whose meticulous precision has enabled the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to carry out a massive but also pinpoint bombing of predetermined targets in Iranian territory.
According to Israeli spokespeople, “Rising Lion” was carried out in three phases. The first, developed over several years by Mossad agents, consisted of installing guided munitions launch systems in various Iranian military areas, which housed thousands of surface-to-air missiles. These systems remained inactive (“dormant,” in their own jargon) until they were remotely activated at the start of Operation “Rising Lion.” The munitions were activated simultaneously, hitting predetermined targets, mainly the defenses protecting the silos and launch pads of Iranian missiles.
The second phase, complementary to the first, was also carried out by Mossad operatives, who had installed innovative attack technologies in camouflaged vehicles. Deployed at various strategic points in Iranian territory, they eliminated virtually all anti-aircraft defenses, clearing the way for Israeli fighter jets to bomb their targets with pinpoint accuracy.
The third phase of the operation consisted of activating dozens of drones that Mossad had also infiltrated over several years, effectively establishing a secret base in Esfahan, near the Iranian capital, Tehran. The activated drones simultaneously attacked dozens of strategic Iranian platforms, installed as launchers for SRBM surface-to-surface missiles.
Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the operation would continue for as long as necessary to eliminate all targets, the truth is that the outcome of the initial Israeli blitzkrieg is simply devastating: the Natanz nuclear facility has been rendered useless; most of Iran's missile infrastructure, including its factories and launch and production centers, has been destroyed; the Revolutionary Guards and the Army have been decapitated by the elimination of their top generals; and the six leading Iranian nuclear scientists, all of whom were instrumental in the development of Iran's nuclear program, have also been eliminated.
The Iranian reaction was swift, with hundreds of drones and missiles launched across Israeli territory, most of which were neutralized by the Iron Dome.
But, barring a major surprise, the truth is that Israel has achieved a crushing victory in yet another war for its right to exist. The assassinated General Hossein Salami, one of the most fervent followers of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had vowed to open “the gates of hell” on Israel. For now, it is Israel that has sent him to paradise, weakening a regime that will find it very difficult to muster unwavering unity in its hatred of the West in general, and Israel in particular, and which will probably opt to increase the brutal repression it subjects even the slightest dissenters to.
Israel has made its military and technological hegemony in the region even more ostensible, because the strategic blow has been enormous. The US president himself, Donald Trump, has had to give his full backing to Israel, once he realized that, with or without Netanyahu, the country is not willing to be wiped off the map.
Although they do not express it with indescribable enthusiasm, Israel's victory in this war is also a relief and a source of satisfaction, however restrained, for the countries that chose to cooperate with Israel in all fields, the famous Abraham Accords. And, of course, it is a new double blow, accompanied by the corresponding warning, to those who refuse to deny its existence and prefer to continue in permanent confrontation. In return, Israelis will have to continue living with a gun in their hands and always sleeping with at least one eye open.