It has now been just over 24 hours since the ceasefire between Israel and the Islamic regime took effect, a ceasefire that they have already violated. Nothing about what we are experiencing feels like a real truce. The Islamic Republic has not abandoned its nuclear ambitions, the Ayatollah and his regime remain firmly in power, and over 700 Iranians have already been arrested for allegedly "spying for Israel." The regime is once again broadcasting forced confessions on state television, accusing more people of espionage before executing them.
Yes, these past twelve days mark one of Israel's most successful military campaigns against its most dangerous enemy. Israel eliminated the immediate threat in both the nuclear and ballistic missile arenas, destroying up to two-thirds of the regime's launchers. The IDF delivered a devastating blow to the regime's military leadership, destroyed dozens of strategic government targets, and even sent a powerful symbolic message by demolishing the so-called "doomsday clock" that counts down the days to Israel's destruction.
Yes, Israel has restored the deterrence it lost on October 7, proving to the world that it can stand up to one of the most destructive forces in the Middle East. We still don't fully understand the extent of the damage inflicted on Iran's nuclear program (and we may not for some time). US President Donald Trump claims the program was "totally obliterated," while initial CNN and Pentagon assessments suggest it was only delayed by six months. Israeli officials estimate long-term damage to the program and confirmed that most of the enriched uranium is trapped after the US strikes. They estimate the setback at two to three years.
And yet… it still isn't enough.
Many Israelis do not feel that this is ending on a victorious note. The current ceasefire with the Iranian regime (if it can even be called that) is not sustainable. Iran's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, has already announced plans to restart the program. The regime is still believed to possess 400 kg of highly enriched uranium. While Israel was aware of the stockpile locations, it reportedly avoided striking them to prevent nuclear contamination. Analysts say that Israeli and American strikes instead focused on research and development facilities, and on the scientists and engineers behind the program. Trump has warned that the US will strike again if Iran attempts to rebuild, but the question remains: why wait? Why aren't we pushing the regime to its knees while it's still weakened and humiliated?
If the international community is so eager for a diplomatic solution, it must take responsibility. It must demand the complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear program and the surrender of all enriched uranium. Anything less means the regime will continue its quest for a nuclear bomb, and we will inevitably have to do this all over again, with potentially far greater consequences. The regime might appear to agree to a deal now, only to retaliate later, once global attention fades, and attempt another breakthrough or launch a surprise attack.
The most difficult pill to swallow over this ceasefire for me is that it feels like the free world has abandoned the Iranian people. Now, more than ever, we must support and embolden them to reclaim their country from this Islamist dictatorship. From the beginning, it was clear that Israel's military objectives did not include regime change; it would have to come from within. But what we are leaving behind is unacceptable.
Israel struck the gates of Evin Prison, infamous for its torture and imprisonment of political prisoners, journalists, academics, human rights activists, dual nationals, and foreign citizens accused of "propaganda" or espionage. This wasn't just another military target. It was the very place where the regime locked away those brave enough to demand freedom. Following the strike, Iranians were encouraged to enter the prison to find their loved ones.
Israel also targeted IRIB Channel 4 (Islamic Republic state TV), which has aired countless forced confessions. We bombed the IRGC's Basij militia, a regime-backed ideological force tasked with suppressing protests and silencing dissent. These were not just military targets. They were the regime's tools of repression, and striking them made me so proud of Israel.
Our goal may not have been regime change, but we undoubtedly fanned its flames. And now, with this ceasefire, it feels as though the people of Iran have been abandoned, left to suffer the consequences of their support for Israel's campaign. Yes, only the Iranian people can determine their own destiny, but how can we expect mass protests in the aftermath of this? How can people mobilize with no internet access, while the regime accuses anyone and everyone of "spying for Israel" and livestreams executions?
The Western world cannot abandon the Iranian people now, not when they are so close to taking their country back.
History will remember these twelve days as one of Israel's greatest military triumphs. But if we leave things as they are, it will also remember this moment as a missed opportunity, when the free world failed to help the Iranian people finish what we started.
