'Where's Our Air Defence?': How Iran's Miscalculation Let Israel Assert Military Dominance
Israel launched massive air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities on Friday and also eliminated top military officials and nuclear scientists.
Israel-Iran conflict: Iran did not expect Israel to launch strikes on Tehran's nuclear facilities before the sixth round of US-Iran talks, which was earlier scheduled for Sunday in Oman, The New York Times reported, citing officials close to the country's leadership.
The NYT report revealed private text messages between senior Iranian officials, in which they asked one another, 'Where is our air defense?" and 'How can Israel come and attack anything it wants, kill our top commanders, and we are incapable of stopping it?"
Iran Miscalculated Israel's Offensive: Report
Though Iran was well aware of the preparations being carried out by Israel for a possible attack on Tehran's nuclear facilities, it did not expect Jerusalem to strike while the negotiations with the US regarding the nuclear programme were still underway. This allowed for the exceptional success of the Israeli operation launched on early Friday morning, the report said.
🚨Millions of Israelis are currently running for shelter as sirens sound in the following cities and communities around Israel:Jerusalem, Ashdod, Kfar Ruppin, Maoz Haim, Neve Eitan, Ganey Hugg', Beit She'an, Hamadia, Ein HaNatziv, Kfar Ruppin, Maoz Haim, Neve Eitan, Sdeh…
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 14, 2025
The Iran-US talks hang in limbo as Tehran has indicated that it is likely to cancel the negotiations amid full-blown military action against Israel.
NYT report said.
The officials told the newspaper that the complacency of the leadership may have stopped them from taking any preemptive precautions against an Israeli attack. The instance of this was that the senior Iranian military commanders stayed in their private residences on the night when Israeli forces conducted the strikes, instead of taking shelter in the safe shelters. This allowed Israel to take down senior Iranian officials, including Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami and Armed Forces chief Mohammad Hossein Bagheri.
Several scientists involved in Iran's nuclear programme were also killed in the strikes.
In another instance of oversight by Iran, Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Aerospace Forces, convened an emergency war meeting of senior officials, prompting Israel to eliminate all of them at once in a single bombing.
'Israel's Attack Caught Leadership By Surprise': Official
The top officials were also questioned about what failures in the intelligence and defence systems led Iran not to foresee the Israeli offensive.
'Israel's attack completely caught the leadership by surprise, especially the killing of the top military figures and nuclear scientists," said Hamid Hosseini, a member of Iran's Chamber of Commerce's energy committee, in a phone call with the NYT from Iran.
'It also exposed our lack of proper air defense and their ability to bombard our critical sites and military bases with no resistance," he added.
Hosseini confessed that the Iranian officials were shocked by Israel's ability to infiltrate Iran's military and security apparatus.
What Did Khamenei Say On Attack?
The report also mentioned two Iranian officials who were aware of the discussions that took place after the attacks, led by Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In those talks, Khamenei said he wanted revenge against Israel but didn't want to rush into action.
According to the officials, there were disagreements among Iran's leadership about how to respond. Some were concerned about whether Iran could handle a long war with Israel, especially if the US got involved and given the damage Israel had already done to Iran's missile systems and defense capabilities.
An official at the meeting reportedly said that if Israel launched an attack on Iran's energy or water infrastructure, it may lead to riots in the country.
An IRGC member who was informed about the meeting told The NYT that the officials realised Ayatollah Khamenei was facing a tough choice: either go for an all-out war, which could put his decades-long rule at risk, or pull back, which would be seen as a sign of defeat both inside Iran and on the global stage.
Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated!
tags :
iran israel
Location :
Israel
First Published:
June 15, 2025, 09:57 IST
News world 'Where's Our Air Defence?': How Iran's Miscalculation Let Israel Assert Military Dominance
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
9 minutes ago
- India Today
Israeli military to relocate residents to 'safe' zones in southern Gaza
The Israeli military announced on Saturday that Gaza residents will begin receiving tents and other shelter supplies starting Sunday as part of plans to move civilians from combat zones to "safe zones" in southern move follows Israel's announcement of a planned offensive to capture northern Gaza City, the enclave's largest urban centre, raising international concern over the fate of the area, home to roughly 2.2 million Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the evacuation of civilians to designated safe areas will precede the military operation. He described Gaza City as "Hamas' last stronghold" and emphasised that measures would be taken to move residents out of harm's TRANSFER TO SOUTHERN GAZA The military stated that shelter equipment will be delivered through the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza, with the United Nations and other international relief organisations overseeing the transfer after inspections by defence ministry asked whether the supplies were intended for Gaza City's approximately one million residents and whether they would be relocated to the Rafah area near the Egyptian border, the military declined to Defence Minister Israel Katz noted that plans for the northern Gaza offensive are still being finalised, though Israeli forces have intensified operations around Gaza City over the past week. Residents in neighbourhoods such as Zeitorun and Shejaia reported heavy aerial and tank fire that destroyed numerous OPERATIONS IN ZEITUNOn Friday, the Israeli military said it had launched a new operation in Zeitun, aimed at locating explosives, destroying tunnels, and targeting militants in the ongoing conflict stems from Hamas' attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and left 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. Of the remaining 50 hostages still in Gaza, 20 are reportedly retaliatory military campaign has killed over 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, and has triggered a severe hunger crisis. Most of Gaza's population has been displaced, and much of the enclave lies in calling for hostage releases and an end to the war were expected across Israel on Sunday. Numerous businesses and universities announced strikes to mark the to secure a US-backed 60-day ceasefire and hostage release collapsed last month.- EndsWith inputs from ReutersMust Watch
Time of India
9 minutes ago
- Time of India
Bad diets, too many meds, no exercise: A look inside the latest 'Make America Healthy Again' report
Washington: A report that U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promised will improve the health of America's children does not call on the government to make significant changes to its food or farming policies, according to a draft document obtained by The Associated Press. The " Make America Healthy Again " strategy report is supposed to be one of Kennedy's signature achievements as the nation's health secretary, giving the government a roadmap to help its citizens lose weight, reduce chronic diseases and exercise more. Before coming to Washington, Kennedy had spent much of his career decrying the harms of chemicals sprayed on crops, prescription drugs, ultraprocessed foods, and vaccines. His coalition, then, has expected him to take bold action as the nation's top health leader. But a draft of the so-called "MAHA" report, first reported by The New York Times Thursday night, mostly calls on the government to further study chronic diseases, bad air quality, Americans' diets and prescription drug use. The report lays out four problem areas - poor diet, chemical exposure, lack of physical activity and overuse of medications -- that are to blame for chronic diseases in the U.S. The White House has held off on publicly releasing the report, which was submitted to President Donald Trump on Tuesday. The latest report is the policy companion to a "MAHA" report released in May, which was found to have several errors in it. White House spokesman Kush Desai refused to confirm whether the copy obtained by the Associated Press was a final version, though HHS officials have insisted the report has been finalized since Tuesday. "President Trump pledged to Make America Healthy Again, and the Administration is committed to delivering on that pledge with Gold Standard Science," Desai said. "Until officially released by the White House and MAHA Commission, however, any documents purporting to be the second MAHA Report should be considered as nothing more than speculative literature." Some in the agricultural industry had warily anticipated the report, fearing it would call for bans or investigations into the use of pesticides and herbicides that farmers in the U.S. regularly spray on crops to control weeds and enhance yields. Other farmers were concerned about how the report may target the use of corn syrup, a common sweetener, in American foods. Both products have been a central talking point in Kennedy's "MAHA" movement, which has attracted a diverse coalition of suburban and rural moms, Trump supporters and liberals concerned about the nation's food supply. Instead, the report calls for an "awareness" campaign to raise confidence in pesticides. Concerns from the agricultural industry waned as the report hit the president's desk, with one of Kennedy's closest advisers, Calley Means, calling for MAHA supporters to work with major farm companies on Tuesday. Means also acknowledged that the "pace of political change" can be frustrating. "We need to build bridges," Means said, adding that: "We are not going to win if the soybean farmers and the corn growers are our enemy." Means did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. A spokesman for Kennedy also declined to comment. The report urges the National Institutes of Health - which is facing a 40% cut to its budget under the Trump administration - to undertake several studies on Americans' health, including research on vaccine injury, autism, air quality, water quality, prescription drugs, and nutrition. The report also calls for changes to the foods served in schools and hospitals, something that will be hard to deliver with the Trump administration's funding cuts, said Kari Hamerschlag, the deputy director of the food and agriculture at the nonprofit Friends of the Earth. Earlier this year, the Republican-led administration wiped out $1 billion set aside that helped food banks and schools procure food directly from local farmers. "This is not going to transform our food and farming system," Hamerschlag said. "This is not going to make people healthier. They need to put resources behind their recommendations."
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Microsoft launches 'Urgent Probe' into Azure cloud business in Israel for which it had once faced "Shame on you" protests from some employees
Microsoft has launched an "urgent" probe into whether its cloud technology is being used by Israel for a large-scale surveillance operation targeting Palestinians. The announcement follows a new report from The Guardian and comes after two years of protests from both within and outside the company over its contracts with Israel. The company claims it's launched an 'urgent' probe into whether its cloud business is being used by Israel to conduct a massive surveillance operation in Gaza. Microsoft has seen some of its events disrupted by pro-Palestian protestors in the last two years. This includes its 50th anniversary celebrations as well. During Microsoft's 50th anniversary celebrations, an employee disrupted the keynote event where Microsoft's three CEOs -- two former and one current -- were on stage. In another 50th anniversary event, an employees reportedly yelled 'Shame on you' while calling the company's head of AI a 'war profiteer' who was 'using AI for genocide.' What the report claims on Microsoft and Israel's intelligence agency The Guardian's report claims that Unit 8200, Israel's intelligence agency, has been using a customized and isolated area of Microsoft's Azure cloud platform. According to the report, this cloud setup was used to create a system that records and stores millions of daily phone calls made by Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The report alleges that this arrangement was part of a deal with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo Microsoft's probe will be led by attorneys from the law firm Covington & Burling. In a statement to The Guardian, the company said the new report "raises additional and precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review." The company also noted that if Israel is using Azure for mass surveillance of civilians, it would be a violation of Microsoft's terms of service. This is the second time Microsoft has opened a legal review into its relationship with the Israeli government. A previous probe was launched earlier this year following employee protests, which have disrupted company events and conferences. That investigation, which concluded in May, found "no evidence to date that Microsoft's Azure and AI technologies have been used to target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza." The new probe, however, will specifically address the claims of widespread surveillance. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
