Against the backdrop of statements by the US president suggesting that the war could end soon, senior Israeli officials are expressing concern that President Trump’s definition of “victory over Iran” may no longer align with Israel’s.
“This doesn’t necessarily mean there is a large gap between the Israeli and American positions on the issue,” officials say, “but the president’s remarks raise some concern that, from his perspective, it may be possible to end the campaign sooner than Israel would prefer.”
Because of this concern, Israel is preparing for the possibility that the US president may want to bring the war to a close, and is therefore expected to intensify its strikes.
However, the officials emphasize that there is currently no indication of this concern in the operational activity of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) or the US military in Iran.
“Everything is continuing as usual, coordination, target selection, and overall strategy,” one senior official told The Post. “There is no indication that the United States intends to stop anytime soon, at least based on the operational activity on the ground.”
Regarding the objectives of the operation, Israeli officials say that in the area of ballistic missiles significant achievements have been made, though additional targets still remain.
According to a source familiar with the details who spoke to The Post, the Americans are focusing on drone launch and production sites, partly because these are the systems Iran uses to attack Gulf states. Data published by Gulf countries show a sharp decline in ballistic missile launches, but the number of drones launched toward those states remains high.