Published on 6/15/2026
In an exclusive interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper, correspondent Lilach Shoval quoted an Israeli Air Force officer – with the rank of lieutenant colonel, whose identity she withheld and only referred to as the letter “R” – as saying that any future confrontation with Iran “will not resemble its predecessors,” and that the Israeli army is preparing, in his words, to fight in a “better and stronger” way.
The interview, which comes a year after an Israeli military operation against Iran, presents an Israeli military interpretation that believes that the Iranian arena is no longer far from the center of Tel Aviv’s operational calculations, but rather, according to the officer, has become a front present at the heart of operational planning.
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He says that this transformation imposed permanent intelligence and operational preparedness, and allowed the Air Force to move within hours from defense to attack in the last clash between the two sides.
Confidence with gaps
The officer spoke about the improvement in the Israeli Air Force’s ability to operate inside Iran, saying that the army had achieved a “big leap” in the pace of sorties and rapid response over the past year.
But he acknowledges, on the other hand, that the freedom of movement that he says Israel had after the previous operation did not remain intact, because Iran rebuilt part of its air defenses and began to feel a degree of protection.
When asked whether it would have been more effective to carry out a pre-emptive strike, the officer said that “all options were on the table,” and that the Iranian shooting was not surprising, but he pointed out that the decision was subject to diplomatic and tactical considerations, as well as Israel’s confidence in its air defense systems.
Results do not end the threat
Despite his talk about the decline in Iran’s defense and missile capabilities, the officer does not present a picture of complete resolution. He admits that Tehran has been able to reuse launchers previously targeted by the Israeli Air Force, and that its military industries continue to supply it with missiles, albeit at a slower pace, according to his estimate.
Remarkably, the officer seemed less impulsive than the speeches that talked about a decisive strike on the Iranian nuclear program or missile system. He said that Israel “achieved results,” but “did not finish the mission,” adding that the threat would remain as long as Iranian launch pads remained.
The officer makes reducing the danger on the Israeli home front the first goal of any future round, but he does not specify the period that this may require.
Traditional allies
Regarding the United States of America, the officer said that cooperation with it has strengthened in recent months, describing the Americans as “traditional allies” of Israel.
According to his account, coordination between the two sides is based on a common interest in confronting the Iranian threat, with a distribution of roles according to the capabilities of each party.
The interview ends with an Israeli perception of a long conflict that does not appear to be resolved soon.
The officer acknowledges that Iran’s geographical distance makes controlling the theater impossible all the time, and therefore the confrontation with it may be based on repeated rounds, in which the Israeli Air Force returns, whenever it deems it necessary, to strike Iranian capabilities.
