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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/world/middleeast/israel-iran-hezbollah.html
War with Iran Reflects Shift in Israel's Strategic Thinking
(New York Times) David M. Halbfinger - The war with Iran reflects an important shift in Israel's strategic thinking since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023. No longer does Israel trust its intelligence establishment's ability to read its adversaries' intentions accurately. So when enemies bent on Israel's destruction begin amassing the means to achieve it, Israel now sees an imperative to destroy those capabilities whenever it gets the chance. According to three Israeli defense officials, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered military leaders at the end of last year to begin planning for a solo strike against Iran. Once it became clear that the U.S. would be Israel's partner in an attack on Iran, military commanders who were previously unenthusiastic changed their tune. They grasped a historic opportunity to batter Iran, destroy its missile arsenal, further damage its nuclear program, and even try to push the Iranian government to the breaking point. The shouldering of much of the burden by the Americans - including sending aloft a huge fleet of midair-refueling tankers - made it possible for Israel to deploy its largest air fleet ever on Saturday for a devastating assault on Iranian missile launchers.