Operation Rising Lion: Israel’s Prophecy, Regime Reversal and Middle East Spill-Over

By Elijah J. Magnier

Iranian missiles and drones now dominate the skies over Israel, just as Israel’s air force and drones have long dominated Iranian airspace. During the day, Israel bombs selective targets accumulated in its bank of objectives. Its drones, stationed at a nearby base on the western borders and others operating from within the country, are managed by an espionage network entrusted with sabotage operations. These drones hunt for specific assassination targets and seek out and destroy missile platforms in order to reduce the impact of Iranian retaliation.

Israel maintains the upper hand: its drones destroyed, from day one, most of Iran’s air defence systems and hunted down nuclear scientists, military officials, and police commanders in an effort to create chaos and a continuous state of alert, eroding any sense of safety within Iran. However, each night since the war began, images of unprecedented destruction in Israel—devastation not seen since the state’s inception—are impossible to ignore, particularly for Israel’s American allies.

Furthermore, Yemen, following the first and second waves of Iranian missile strikes—mainly but not exclusively targeting Tel Aviv—launched a missile at Haifa just as the Iranian barrage ended. The strike coincided with the moment when Israelis had been instructed to leave their shelters, creating total chaos and contradictory instructions, and triggering unprecedented panic on the domestic front.

This is the first time since 1973 that Israel is fighting a state actor rather than a non-state one. It exposes Israel’s vulnerability despite its most advanced military hardware and the unlimited support it receives from powerful Western countries. Israel has never before suffered a bit less than 250 killed and wounded in one night—in mere seconds—as it did during Iran’s bombardment last night.

Yet the central question remains: will the United States join Israel in its war against Iran? And if so, what is the final objective?