A classified assessment delivered to President Trump shows the late supreme leader viewed Mojtaba Khamenei as neither brilliant nor fit to rule – yet Iran's clerical council chose him anyway.
After the crisis of the Golden Calf, the people were tested in their ability to rise from idolatry to the construction of the Tabernacle. The Book of Exodus is not merely a story of physical liberation, but the filling of freedom with content: covenant, law and the indwelling of the Divine Presence as the basis for establishing a sovereign kingdom in the land.
Israeli officials fear that the scenario in which Iran’s regime remains in power even after the current military campaign is now more realistic. According to this updated assessment, Israeli decision makers are shaping their strategy accordingly, focusing on Iran’s missile arrays, its weapons industry and Tehran’s security forces.
There are cases in which Israeli pilots are assigned missions such as striking missile launchers aimed at US bases and assets in the region. In many cases, those targets also pose a threat to Israel.
Night after night, Israeli and US forces are striking targets linked to the Iranian regime while operating with near-total freedom in the air. Tactically and operationally, the campaign is impressive. Yet paradoxically, Iran’s strategic position appears to be strengthening rather than weakening.
