According to a report by The Times Of Israel, an Iranian general has admitted that the country’s leadership was caught off guard by Israel’s June 13 strikes, which severely damaged Tehran’s nuclear program and triggered a 12-day conflict between the two nations. His remarks offer a rare glimpse into Iran’s internal reaction to the sudden escalation.
According to local media reports, Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, who heads the Iranian army’s Strategic Studies and Research Center, spoke about the episode during an academic conference. He described how the scale and impact of Israel’s attacks left Iranian authorities reeling at the start of the brief but intense war.
“I can honestly say that we were stunned during the 12-day war and were in shock,” Pourdastan said, as quoted by the pro-regime Jahan News outlet.
The Israeli strikes on June 13 reportedly targeted key elements of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, setting back its program and prompting retaliatory measures from Tehran. The confrontation, though short-lived, raised fears of a wider regional conflict and drew international concern about potential escalation between two longtime rivals.
Pourdastan suggested that Iran’s leadership initially struggled to respond effectively to the surprise attacks. However, he said that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei eventually rallied the government and military to take action, signaling a shift from paralysis to resistance.
“The leader of the revolution woke us up,” he added, apparently referring to Khamenei’s role in pushing Iran to regroup and counter Israel’s operations.
His comments reflect the scale of the shock felt within Iran’s political and military establishment during the brief war and highlight the destabilizing impact of Israel’s operation on Tehran’s strategic posture. See, More, Here>>>>
They also underscore how close the confrontation came to spiraling further, even as it ultimately lasted less than two weeks.
