According to an assessment by senior IDF Intelligence officials and nuclear experts, Iran's nuclear program was systematically destroyed, not merely tactically, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said Wednesday in a televised address.
"We struck the main facilities, factories, industries, and centers of knowledge. The cumulative achievement allows us to state that the Iranian nuclear project has suffered severe, widespread, and deep damage, setting it back by years," Zamir said.
"We will not allow Iran to produce weapons of mass destruction," he declared.
Zamir said that the IDF achieved all of its war goals after 12 days of "unprecedented fighting."
He stressed Iran's goal is to destroy Israel, which is one of three of its programs. The other two are its nuclear program and its long-range missile program, "involving the production of thousands of missiles intended to be launched at our territory to paralyze the State of Israel and cause mass destruction and death among civilians," Zamir said.
Israel's achievements in Operation Rising Lion
Zamir credited Israel's achievements in this war to years of preparation, months of meticulous and accelerated planning, leading to a decisive and surprising opening attack.
"We struck all planned targets - and even beyond that. We deepened our achievements beyond the objectives set at the beginning of the operation," Zamir said.
With respect to its missile capabilities, Zamir said that the IDF destroyed hundreds of Iran's missiles and launchers, meaningfully delaying their force-building program.
Zamir thanked the US military for its contributions, saying they enhanced Israel's achievements, calling the alliance a strategic asset.
"Operation Rising Lion has concluded, but the campaign is not yet over. We must remain focused - many challenges still lie ahead," Zamir said, concluding, “For Zion’s sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest.”