4 The June 2025 open war between Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran marked a watershed moment in the history of the Middle East and in the evolution of Israeli warfare. While Israel had previously conducted long-range, high-risk operations such as the 1976 Entebbe raid, the 1985 strike in Tunis and operations against the Houthis in Yemen in the Iron Swords war, the Iran war was the first time in its history that Israel waged a sustained, multi-domain campaign against a geographically distant regional power with no shared border. For 12 days, Israel brought to bear the full weight of its long-range strike capabilities, missile defenses, intelligence networks, cyber arsenal and spectrum warfare, demonstrating a level of operational reach, integration and coordination unprecedented in its military history. The war was also the first true test of the Israeli home front under a new strategic paradigm. Iran’s retaliatory strikes, carried out through its missile arsenal and regional proxies, targeted Israeli cities and critical infrastructure. In response, Israel’s active defense systems, including multiple layers of missile and UAV interception, were activated on a national scale. Alongside these, passive protection systems, civilian shelters, rescue and recovery units, and the population’s overall behavior under fire became a central component of the war effort. The resilience and adaptability of the Israeli home front, often overlooked in traditional analyses, proved essential in enabling Israel to sustain the war effort without major societal disruption. The war also marked the first time in history that the United States not only provided material and diplomatic support to Israel but also actively participated in the campaign, albeit in a limited capacity. Executive Summary Photo: Shutterstock Prof. Eitan Shamir Head of the BESA Center and faculty member in the Department of Political Science at Bar-Ilan University. His most recent book, The Art of Military Innovation: Lessons from the IDF (Harvard University Press, 2023), co-authored with Edward Luttwak, examines innovation in military organizations.
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