Israeli Military Seeks More Time in Ongoing Iran Conflict
The Israeli military requests additional weeks to achieve its objectives in Iran as diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire continue. President Trump is engaged in negotiations to end the conflict.
An excavator clears rubble from destroyed residential buildings in northern Tehran, Iran, as the conflict between the U.S. and Israel against Iran enters its fourth week.
The Israeli military has indicated that it requires several more weeks of fighting to fulfill its objectives in Iran, according to two military officials who spoke to NPR on Tuesday. However, this timeframe might be shortened due to ongoing U.S. efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict.
President Trump has mentioned that the U.S. is engaged in "productive" discussions aimed at concluding the war with Iran, although Iran has denied any direct talks are taking place. Meanwhile, countries such as Pakistan, Egypt, Oman, and Turkey are reportedly involved in backchannel negotiations to facilitate a ceasefire, as noted by an anonymous Egyptian official.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Trump's diplomatic initiatives but did not explicitly endorse them. In a video address, he stated, "President Trump believes there is an opportunity to leverage the tremendous achievements we have reached alongside the U.S. military to realize the goals of the war through an agreement that will safeguard our vital interests."
Despite the Israeli military's assertion that it has destroyed or incapacitated most of Iran's ballistic missile launchers, Iran continues to launch missiles at Israel. Recently, an Iranian missile successfully penetrated U.S. and Israeli air defenses, striking a residential area in Tel Aviv, resulting in damage to several apartment buildings and minor injuries to residents, according to Israeli sources.
The two Israeli officials reiterated that the military needs additional time to accomplish its war goals, speaking anonymously to protect internal discussions. One senior official from the military's operations directorate noted that the conflict has weakened Iran's command structure, hindered its nuclear ambitions, and destroyed numerous military facilities. Nevertheless, he emphasized that Iran remains a "active, dangerous player in the region," and there are still Iranian military assets that Israel aims to target.
"We are in many ways halfway there," the official stated. "There are very significant achievements, both at the tactical and strategic levels. However, a complete strategic victory has not yet been realized." The official also mentioned uncertainty regarding when President Trump will officially announce the end of the war.
Contributions to this report were made by Aya Batrawy from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.