Iran’s FA Results In a Massive FO By Israel (With American Help?)

You can only imagine the pep talk given to the Israeli military about to embark on the most ambitious preemptive attack the tiny nation has ever conducted. You can start by translating the Late Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks into Hebrew. “This is your time, Their time is done. It’s over.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation, and the world, after Operation Rising Lion delivered the first couple waves of attacks deep inside Iran Thursday night. The initial reports of the targets hit are nothing short of spectacular. 

In the overnight hours between Thursday and Friday, it appears that at least four phases of operations by the IDF took place. The first phase seemed to target personnel. Here’s just a rogue’s gallery of who is believed to be targets that are no longer threats to anyone except the hundreds of virgins that had to be scared up in a hurry.

The precision with which to paint targets? This good. 

As one person on X noted, this is worst genocide conducted by Israel ever. 

There are initial reports that not only a general like Salami of the IRGC got whacked, but all of the generals Iran has got wiped out. 

The second wave of Israel’s attack in Rising Lion targeted missile bases and missile command and control. 

Among the other sites targeted in Phase 2 were remaining air defenses. Then, Phase 3 – the nuclear sites. Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan are the big three, with Natanz believed to be the most impregnable. 

Sure, all of this could be internet noise that all turns out to be overstated. So if you want a little verification for how it’s going for the Israelis, let’s check in on Ben Rhodes, the know-nothing Barack Obama foreign policy advisor that gave us the Iran nuclear deal and appeasement that directly led to this historic moment in time. 

He seems sad to have lost so many friends last night. Sounds like he believes the initial reports are holding up. 

Good news, though, for Ben and the Obama foreign policy kids. Ali Khamanei made it through the night. No one else close to him did, but the Ayatollah saw another sunrise…mainly because he didn’t go to bed last night. 

Then again, Reuters thought the Los Angeles riots were mostly peaceful, so their reportage is not necessarily proof of life. I’d be very leery about the credibility of unnamed Iranian sources. They might be about as reliable as the Gaza Health Ministry. Khamenei has been rumored to be targeted along with the rest of his senior military and political advisors, and unless he turns up with a newspaper with today’s date on it in his hands, we may have the regime change so many of us, including Iranians, have sought. 

Speaking of bogus reporting, remember The Potato – Brian Stelter? Our friend, Stephen Miller, had a little fun at his expense as the incredible imagery out of Iran played out overnight. 

Then, this. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly denied that the U.S. had any direct involvement with the carrying out of Operation Rising Lion. 

pic.twitter.com/oRy6E1DTQJ

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) June 13, 2025

But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t indirect cooperation. 

There’s a reason U.S. personnel were pulled out of strategic places believed to be prime targets for Iran in a counterstrike, such as Baghdad and in Syria. Israel had signaled to the U.S. it was about to begin. And it’s not beyond the possibility that the White House’s intentions of sending Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, for one last Hail Mary negotiation session with the Iranians this Sunday lulled the Iranians into believing that they had a few more days to punt. 

Remember that in mid-April, that’s when President Donald Trump gave the Iranians the ultimatum – take the deal and end the enrichment in the next 60 days, or, for lack of a better phrase, find out. The attack began on April 12th, roughly 61 days after Trump’s red line.  

Israel, unsure of what counterpunching abilities Iran would have, exercised caution and warned all of their citizens to stay near bomb shelters, and they opened up a hospital underground as a precaution. They also sent troops to contain the Palestinians in case they decided to act like mostly peaceful Angelinos. 

But if you want another metric by which to measure how effective the first few waves of attacks by the Israelis were, all you need to witness is the dog that didn’t bark. There has been no counterstrike, hours after the initial waves of attacks. 

Now this could be because all of the command personnel in Iran have assumed room temperature, the facilities with which to launch and manage a counterstrike have been destroyed, or a combination of both. It’s certainly not because Khamenei has had a change of heart after his sleepless night. But it is telling that after a strike this devastating deep into a country they thought could not be reached by the Israelis, it’s been awfully quiet on the Iranian front.

Prayers should be continued for the Israeli military conducting this ongoing raid, that their aim be true, and their munitions be able to reach Adamstown, Pitcairn, off the coast of Brazil. Why there? That’s the antipode, or the polar opposite part of the globe of Tehran. That’s plenty deep enough to destroy anything underground Iran might still have. 

It’s now very late Thursday night, and I will retire eagerly anticipating what the morning brings as I get to guest host for Hugh Hewitt Friday afternoon. After today’s events, I think I’ll sleep like the dead, or like most of the terrorists that ran Iran yesterday.