A retired Navy officer believes the Israelis scored a decisive victory, but an author and national defense analyst thinks the Israelis showed restraint.
Israel launched weekend strikes against Iranian air defense missile batteries and missile production facilities, but did not target either its oil storage or nuclear sites.
The offensive was Israel’s response to an Iran attack earlier this month in which almost 200 ballistic missiles were fired at Israel, attacks on civilians, not the Jewish state’s military strength.
Analysts say Israel exposed vulnerabilities in Iran's air defenses and can now more easily step up its attacks. Retired Navy Commander Kirk Lippold commanded the USS Cole when it was attacked by terrorists in 2000. He thinks Israel made the right move.
"Absolutely! I think Israel took the long view. And you have to remember, right now Israel is operating with a moral clarity and strategic vision that the United States and the rest of the world lack,” Lippold told AFN.
Did U.S. influence Israel’s response?
Bob Maginnis is less sure. He is a senior fellow for national security for the Family Research Council and author of about a dozen books on national defense issues, including "Kings of the East."
Israel’s targets may have been influenced by other world powers, he said. Now it would appear that Israel gave the Iranians something to think about as they consider their own response.
"Because the Americans and the Russians discouraged or condemned any attempts to go after the energy and the nuclear infrastructure which the Israelis did not gave the Iranians sort of an out,” Maginnis said.
The limited attacks could possibly dial back the tension between Israel and Iran.
"It would appear as if the Ayatollah and his henchman in Tehran are recalculating whether or not to respond at this point or to kind of gather their resources for the time period and not pursue further strikes,” Maginnis said.
Even if that’s the case the Iranians and their proxies have not given up on their goal of wiping Israel off the map, Maginnis said.
Israel, Iran and head games
Israel left key Iranian assets in place but also sent a message.
"They took down all the air defenses and all the ability to defend each of those facilities, the oil refining, the oil pumping facilities, all of the nuclear sites. They did take out the research facility in Parchin. But when you look at it, what they did is they sent the signal to the Iranian leadership that we have the ability to come all the way from Israel to your country in Tehran and other places around Iran and strike you at will,” Lippold said.
