Israel's early morning assault on Iran Saturday was a historic moment, not only because it marked the first overt Israeli aerial strike against the Islamic Republic, but also because it signaled what Israel's next potential target might be: Iran's nuclear program.

The operation had three clear objectives. The first was to send a clear message after Iran's unprecedented attacks on Israel earlier this year. Since April, Iran has directly launched more than 500 missiles and drones at Israel. This demanded a forceful response to make Iran understand that there is a price to pay for attacking Israel and that it should think twice before considering such attacks again. Israel's political and military leaders understood that a retaliation was essential to demonstrate that Israel is not afraid to act and will not be restrained by the United States, as Iran might have presumed.

There is a strong sense in Israel that Saturday's attack succeeded in delivering this message, even if Iran has responded with threats of retaliation. The operation was a carefully crafted warning, indicating that Israel could indeed penetrate Iranian airspace and hit critical targets.

The second objective was to show Israel's military reach, proving to Iran and the world that the Israeli Air Force can conduct sustained combat operations some 1,200 miles away. This operation involved more than 100 aircraft,........

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