A historic United States–Israel alliance confronts Iran’s terror empire – and may reshape the Middle East for a generation

“To our steadfast partner, Israel. Your mission is being executed with unmatched skills and iron determination. Fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with such a capable ally is a true force multiplier and a breath of fresh air. We salute your courage and your contribution.”

Those were the words of United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on March 4, 2026.

As I listened to his press briefing, I paused – not in surprise, but in recognition. Recognition that something historic is unfolding before our eyes.

For days now, the world has watched an extraordinary level of operational cooperation between the United States and Israel in the campaign against Iran’s terror regime. Fighter jets from both nations flying in concert. Intelligence fused in real time. Cyber operations shaping every strike. Precision weapons developed in Israel guiding missions thousands of kilometers away.

This is not symbolism. This is strategy. And for many of us who have followed Israel’s long struggle for survival, it feels like the moment when the words enough is enough finally became policy.

Let us be honest about something many analysts prefer to tiptoe around. For years, the Iranian regime expanded its reach across the Middle East almost unchecked.

Tehran funded Hamas in Gaza. It armed Hezbollah in Lebanon. It supplied drones and missiles to the Houthis in Yemen. It destabilized Syria and Iraq. It threatened international shipping lanes in the Gulf. And all the while it marched steadily toward nuclear capability.

This was never a series of isolated crises. It was a coordinated strategy – the construction of a terror empire through proxies.

Yet much of the Western response oscillated between hesitation, diplomatic theater, and wishful thinking. I have written about this before in earlier reflections on what I called the strategic confusion of the Biden–Harris era.

The pattern was unmistakable: public declarations of support for Israel accompanied by private pressure to restrain the very actions necessary to dismantle the threat. History has taught us a simple truth. Appeasement rarely stops aggressors. Now, at last, the strategic calculus appears to have changed.

The current campaign – known in Israel as Operation Roaring Lion and in the United States as Epic Fury – is remarkable not only for its scale but........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)