A former USS Cole Commander, Kirk Lippold has alleged that the Israelis recent military operations against Iranian targets was a calculated strike. According to Commander Lippold’s assessment, he stated that the Iranian military would still be engaged in evaluating the extensive damage inflicted upon their facilities.
He noted how Israel strategically avoided direct strikes on Iran’s oil infrastructure and nuclear facilities, instead focusing on dismantling the air defense systems protecting these sensitive installations, thereby creating a situation of increased vulnerability for these critical Iranian assets. He stated that the operations successfully neutralized various military capabilities, including critical infrastructure and drone manufacturing facilities, while simultaneously inflicting substantial damage to Iran’s defensive capabilities.
He said in an interview with FOX News from 2:17, ‘The Iranians should still be doing battle damage assessment to determine how badly they were hit. In a number of cases, as I had hoped they would, Israel struck facilities with dual benefits. They took out some capabilities and infrastructure, destroyed drone facilities, and inflicted major damage. They didn’t strike oil or nuclear facilities, but they took out many air defense systems protecting them. This means those facilities are vulnerable and clearly would be the next target set if Iran responds. Israel would then have the absolute right to go after those facilities, even if the Biden administration opposes it, because at some point, those facilities need to be taken care of to ensure Iran pays the price.”