Operation Rising Lion: Insights from Israel’s 12-Day War Against Iran

A synchronized opening strike combining fighter jets, traveling some 1,000 miles, and on-the-ground intelligence assets hitting senior military commanders and nuclear scientists all within minutes. Israeli warplanes flying uncontested over the skies of Tehran and then refueling freely above Syria before returning to base. Drones loitering for hours, hunting Iranian missile launchers, eliminating hundreds of them—more than half of Iran’s arsenal—in less than two weeks. All this might have seemed unthinkable just a year prior: the distance too far, Iran’s defenses too advanced, the threat of retaliation by its proxies too grave, its nuclear facilities too deeply buried, Israel’s arsenal too small for success. Yet, Israel did it, pulling off an operational masterpiece. Operation Rising Lion, Israel’s June 13-24, 2025, campaign against Iran reset the Middle East’s strategic landscape.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told us that he personally chose the name “Operation Rising Lion” after a biblical prophecy that the people of Israel would rise like lions from adversity. And rise they did during those 12 days, displaying intelligence and military capabilities that exceed those of any other American partner. More than just operational excellence, however, Israel achieved major strategic effect—advancing not just its own but also American national security.

Securing and building on these impressive accomplishments, however, requires understanding why the war was necessary in the first place and what it achieved. But, as we realized during a week-long fact-finding trip to Israel, the understanding of the 12-Day War among Israel’s political, military, and intelligence leadership differs in several significant ways from how it is seen in Washington, specifically when it comes to its strategic necessity, operational objectives, outcomes, and what happens next.

In this report, beyond presenting an operational and tactical account of Israel’s remarkable military success against Iran, we seek to provide insights into Israel’s strategic thinking that led to Operation Rising Lion and an assessment of regional security dynamics after its conclusion. U.S. and Israeli interests already align. Ensuring that their regional strategies and operational plans do as well, especially when backed by Israel’s potent military capabilities, is the best way to advance those interests.