In the days following the launch of Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, the conflict has rapidly escalated into the deadliest direct exchange between the two countries to date. Over the weekend, Iran launched roughly 270 missiles and drones into Israel, killing at least 13 civilians and injuring more than 380.
Israel responded by expanding Operation Rising Lion from strikes on nuclear and military infrastructure to attacks on the key pillars of the Iranian regime. Over the weekend, Israeli fighter jets launched strikes deep into Iran, hitting the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tehran, key energy infrastructure including the South Pars gas field, and regime-linked military facilities. Israeli officials confirmed the elimination of several top figures, including IRGC commanders and nuclear program personnel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, “We will strike every target of the Ayatollah’s regime. Every target.”
As Iran’s projectiles rained down, U.S. F-35s, Aegis-equipped naval vessels, and ground-based interceptors helped intercept a large portion of the incoming strikes. President Donald Trump reiterated his full backing of Israel and warned Iran not to escalate further, stating, “If Iran dares attack American assets or allies again, it won’t just be Israel they have to deal with—it will be the full force of the United States.”
To discuss the latest developments in Israel’s newest campaign, JINSA hosted a webinar featuring JINSA Distinguished Fellow IDF MG (ret.) Yaakov Amidror, JINSA Distinguished Fellow IDF MG (ret.) Amikam Norkin, and JINSA Randi & Charles Wax Senior Fellow John Hannah.
The webinar was moderated by JINSA President and CEO Michael Makovsky, PhD.
IDF MG (ret.) Yaakov Amidror IDF Major General (ret.) Yaakov Amidror is a Gemunder Center for Defense and Strategy Distinguished Fellow. MG Amidror was formerly the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of Israel, as well as the head of the National Security Council, from 2011-2013. During his 36-year career in the IDF, MG Amidror served as Commander of IDF Military Colleges, Military Secretary for the Minister of Defense, Director of the Intelligence Analysis Division, and as Intelligence Officer for the Northern Command. |
IDF MG (ret.) Amikam Norkin Major General (ret.) Amikam Norkin joined JINSA as a Distinguished Fellow in February 2023. MG Norkin is the Former Commander of the Israeli Air Force and a former member of the Israel Defense Forces General Staff. As the IAF’s Commander, he was responsible for all of the IDF’s aviation operations, including all air and space defense and offense activities, turning the IAF to the IDF’s leading strategic arm and leading this critical organization in a rapidly changing environment with various multiple challenges. |
John Hannah John Hannah is the Randi & Charles Wax Senior Fellow at JINSA’s Gemunder Center for Defense and Strategy. John served in senior foreign policy positions for both Democratic and Republican administrations, including as former Vice President Dick Cheney’s National Security Advisor from 2005-2009 and as Vice President Cheney’s Deputy National Security Advisor for the Middle East from 2001-2005. Hannah received his B.A. from Duke University, his J.D. from the Yale Law School, and did graduate work in international relations at Stanford University. |
Michael Makovsky, PhD Michael Makovsky, PhD is President and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), which he joined in 2013. A U.S. national security expert, he has worked extensively on U.S. policy toward Iran’s nuclear program, Israel, and the broader Middle East, as well as the intersection of international energy markets and politics with U.S. national security. Makovsky has written articles, op-eds and editorials for various publications on U.S. national security issues primarily involving the Middle East as well as energy markets. He is also author of Churchill’s Promised Land (Yale University Press), a diplomatic-intellectual history of Winston Churchill’s complex relationship with Zionism. |