Israeli and U.S. military strikes launched on February 28 targeted Iranian nuclear facilities and ballistic missile infrastructure, aiming to dismantle the country’s nuclear program while potentially weakening its ruling regime, according to two former Israeli security figures.
The coordinated operation triggered retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Iran across the region. Israel entered high alert as Tehran fired missiles toward the nation in response, prompting school closures and restrictions on public gatherings.
Doron Kempel, a former deputy commander in the Israeli military’s Sayeret Matkal special operations unit, described Iran as “a tool in the hand of the Russian-Chinese bloc” during an interview on “Bianca Across the Nation.” He stated that Iran is applying strategic kinetic pressure on Western nations and has been destabilizing the Middle East.
Kempel emphasized that current strikes aim to delay what he termed “this cancer”—Iran’s nuclear program—by three to five years, while a broader objective involves weakening the Iranian regime and empowering political change. “The more difficult, war-worthy goal is to eliminate this cancer,” he said. “In order to do that, we need to declare that the Iranian people have chosen democracy over tyranny.” He noted that intensified military actions referenced by U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth serve a tactical purpose: “That just has to do with greater safety for our brave pilots, basically destroying the infrastructure.”
Eylon Levy, a former Israeli national spokesperson, characterized Iran as “the world’s largest state sponsor of terror,” designated by every U.S. president since the Islamic Revolution. He described Iranian attacks as indiscriminate, targeting civilians in the Gulf and using cluster munitions against Israel. Levy stated that the campaign aims to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, eliminate ballistic missile capabilities, sink its navy, and give Iranians an opportunity to reclaim their country. “Because ultimately, there will be no peace in the Middle East as long as the Iranian civilization is governed by a fanatical fundamentalist regime,” he said.
The strikes resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
