What Israel’s kitchen-sink operation against Iran tells us so far

Israel’s military and intelligence operation against Iran that began Thursday night is unprecedented in scale and scope. I was on live with Anderson Cooper as it unfolded and the full extent of the attack began to clarify.

Israel’s military and intelligence operation against Iran that began Thursday night is unprecedented in scale and scope. I was on live with Anderson Cooper as it happened and the full extent of the attack began to clarify. Now that we know more, here are three points to consider as events continue to unfold. First: A full-spectrum military and intelligence operation, unprecedented in scale, scope and effectiveness. Israel is calling it “Operation Rising Lion,” an appeal to the Iranian people, the vast majority of whom do not support the ruling regime, with reference to Iran’s national symbol (a lion and sun) before its 1979 revolution. I’d also call it Operation Kitchen Sink: airstrikes, sabotage, operatives acting inside Iran and with targets across the entire country. Thus far, the result is a swift decapitation of Iran’s military command: its top commander, its top missile and drone commander, the head of Iran’s external support for proxies across the Middle East and many others we likely have not yet heard about. Any Iranian official right now is either looking over his shoulder or hiding in a bunker — or both. President Donald Trump this morning warned Iran the attacks will continue unless and until Iran returns to the negotiating table and shows it’s prepared to dismantle its nuclear program. This places Iran’s leaders in a severe predicament, fearing for their own lives while seeking to project confidence in their own damaged country and considering response options against Israel.