It was only about one month ago that Donald Trump wondered at the Arab world’s glittering skylines and declared that this modern marvel could not be achieved through the application of Western military power — conveniently ignoring the Western military power that helped to create the conditions in which the Arab world could flourish. Today, the Trump administration spectates as Israel is busily remaking the region in ways that certainly advance American interests and may beget a better world altogether.
Israel’s military successes since the outset of hostilities with Iran last Thursday are staggering. In the early hours of the campaign, Iran’s air defenses — many of which were not repaired after the Israeli Air Force decimated them following an October 2024 missile barrage targeting Israel — were systematically dismantled both from the air and by special forces on the ground. Iran’s military and intelligence establishment was decapitated. Its cadre of prominent nuclear scientists was neutralized. Its nuclear facilities were struck and struck again, some of which were disabled in the process.
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