1. Launching a war against Iran was a mistake, at this moment and under these circumstances. Even the assassination of Khamenei, an arch-terrorist who deserves death, was strategically wrong at this stage.

2. Iran was already at a point of internal weakness: a collapsing economy, a regime that had recently killed tens of thousands of its own citizens during protests, and global public opinion largely against it. Netanyahu and Trump played directly into Tehran’s hands.

3. But once the war has begun, it must be finished — otherwise we will face the same confrontation again within months.

4. “Finishing the job” does not mean regime change. It means ensuring that Iran no longer has the capability to launch ballistic missiles at its neighbors or to fund and arm its regional militias such as Hezbollah and the Houthis. If that capability remains intact, Israel, regional states, and American bases will remain under constant threat.

5. If Iran loses its ballistic missile capability, the regime’s sense of security will collapse, and that could give Iran’s internal opposition the confidence it currently lacks.

6. For now, Iran appears to be stretching its missile arsenal as far as........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)