This is what Israel has done, why it did it, and what the consequences have been.
The groundwork for the February 28 operation had been laid months in advance. Following the twelve-day war of June 2025, in which Israeli and American strikes significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear program, Israeli intelligence continued to monitor Iranian efforts to rebuild missile capabilities and expand enriched uranium stockpiles. By late 2025, analysts within Israeli military intelligence concluded that Iran was moving toward a capability that would be very difficult to neutralize if left unchecked. The January 2026 popular uprising inside Iran, which was violently suppressed by Iranian security forces, provided an additional strategic opening — a moment when the Iranian government was internally weakened and its regional standing was at a low point.
