A month into the war with Iran, Israel’s military has nearly completed its original target list and has been ordered by political leaders to shift its campaign toward striking the Iranian regime’s economic infrastructure, The Times of Israel reported Monday.
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and other senior political officials have directed the IDF to begin targeting assets that cause broad economic damage to the regime, according to the report — a strategic pivot that signals Israel believes it has largely accomplished its initial military objectives.
The Israeli Air Force has conducted hundreds of waves of strikes over the past month, dropping more than 13,000 bombs on Iranian military and regime sites. Targets have included air defense systems, ballistic missile launchers, weapons production facilities, nuclear sites, and command headquarters. Dozens of senior Iranian officials have been killed, including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour.
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said over the weekend that within “a few days” the military would finish targeting the critical assets of Iran’s military production industries. Israel’s defense establishment now describes itself as being in the “completion phase” of the war’s original goals — the degradation of Iran’s military capabilities and the creation of conditions for the regime to fall.
Israel believes that second objective has been achieved “above and beyond” initial expectations, according to security sources cited by The Times of Israel, though it remains uncertain whether and when the Iranian population will move to topple the government.
With military targets nearly exhausted, Israeli forces have begun hitting sites chosen for their economic impact. A strike on major gas infrastructure in southern Iran came roughly two weeks ago; on Friday, Israeli aircraft struck two of Iran’s largest steel factories. In both cases, the goal was to inflict maximum economic damage on the regime, according to security sources. The IDF did not publicly comment on either strike.
Additional strikes against Iranian economic targets are planned, according to the report.
Israel has, however, agreed to hold off on striking energy infrastructure specifically, following President Trump’s threat last week to target Iranian oil and power sites himself if a deal is not reached by April 6. To avoid cutting across U.S. diplomatic and military strategy, Israel has redirected its economic pressure campaign toward other sectors.
While Israel has struck some Iranian nuclear facilities — both in the current conflict and in the 12-day war last June — Israeli officials say the broader effort against Iran’s nuclear program is being led by Washington. That includes the disposition of Iran’s stockpile of more than 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium, which Israeli officials say is sufficient material for approximately 11 nuclear weapons.
The effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is also being led by the United States, with recent reports indicating the Pentagon has been preparing options for ground operations. Israeli defense sources told The Times of Israel that the IDF has shared intelligence with the U.S. regarding the strait and nearby islands, including Kharg Island, Iran’s primary crude oil export terminal.
The Iranian weapon production infrastructure has been “severely degraded,” setting Iran back years, according to Israel’s defense establishment, though U.S. and Israeli officials acknowledge that Iran retains centrifuges and the underlying capability to reconstitute an enrichment program if its remaining nuclear material is not removed or destroyed.
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