Echoing Netanyahu, his national security adviser also acknowledged that Israel was unlikely to be able to completely destroy Iran’s nuclear program through military strikes.
Speaking to Channel 12, Tzachi Hanegbi said the overall goal of Israel’s campaign, rather, is to pressure Iran militarily into agreeing to completely dismantle its nuclear program.
Earlier Friday, Trump said that Iran still had another chance to strike a nuclear deal after Israel launched its ongoing attack.
Hanegbi also said that Israel does not intend to target Iran’s “political leadership” in this campaign.
However, Channel 12, citing unnamed senior officials, said that Israel had sent a warning to Iran that if civilian population centers were targeted in Iran’s response, Israel would attack the political leaders and major infrastructure, like oil refineries.
Hanegbi specified that the goals of the ongoing operation, as approved by the cabinet, against Iran were four-fold: striking Iran’s nuclear program, striking its ballistic missile capabilities; attacking its capacity to destroy Israel via a ground attack; and creating the conditions for the long-term thwarting of Iran’s nuclear program via diplomatic means.
Asked if this meant that Israel does not have the goal of “the IDF destroying Iran’s nuclear program,” Hanegbi replies: “That’s not possible. It cannot be done via kinetic means.”
What is possible, he says, is a solution such as played out in Libya, South Africa and elsewhere, where “the balance of pros and cons” leads the leadership of a state to abandon its nuclear weapons efforts.
Netanyahu says he gave order in November to thwart nuclear and missile program; Hanegbi says military force alone can’t work, only Trump can compel Iran to abandon atomic program
www.timesofisrael.com
Hard to say if the goals are even realistic.
Don't discount Iran too soon