Operation Rising Lion: How Israel's proactive approach should shape Bharat's strategic thinking

Israel's Operation Rising Lion has been an audacious gambit that has so far been successful for the Netanyahu government. More than 20 Iranian military commanders, including Army chief Mohammed Bagheri, have been killed, and several key military assets and nuclear sites destroyed, in the biggest direct conflict between the two nations that started with Tel Aviv's military operation on Friday. Nine scientists working on Iran's nuclear programme too have reportedly been killed. Iran's air defence systems, military airbases and parts of their key nuclear sites were decimated by Israel's military exercise.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
It is still too early to predict the contour of the conflict, but at this point of time it is apparent that Israel has gained a definite advantage over its arch-rival with its timely and precise targeting. What gives Tel Aviv an edge is its undiminished sense of shatrubodh, which, when mixed with its never-give-up attitude and incessant, long-term planning, helps Israel achieve results, historic and unprecedented. Israel's success mantra is simple: Prepare for war in the time of peace. Use that 'free time' to your advantage.
In recent memory, the only time Israel goofed up—and goofed up badly—was on October 7, 2023, when more than 1,000 Hamas terrorists stormed into southern Israel and went on a killing spree, murdering 1,200 men, women and children and abducting another 250 people. This aberration apart, this tiny nation of less than one crore people has had splendid successes. In the past year and a half, after the October 7 fiasco, it has emasculated Hamas after flattening Gaza and decapitated the Hezbollah leadership with a never-seen-before usage of civilian technology for military purposes.
Coming back to Operation Rising Lion, it has its genesis in Mossad pulling off 'one of the most spectacular exploits in the entire history of espionage on the eve of January 31, 2018', as authors Yonah Jeremy Bob and Ilan Evyatar write in their 2024 book Target Tehran. 'After months of meticulous planning, endless hours of sophisticated electronic surveillance, and the risky infiltration of Israeli agents into Iran, the Mossad team broke into the secret warehouse where Iran's nuclear archive, containing the full record of its efforts to become a nuclear weapons power, was kept,' write the authors.
Very little is known in the public about Mossad's 2018 operation, but Target Tehran explains how meticulously planned this exercise was. The Israeli team had 'exactly six and a half hours to find the vast amount of material they needed, load it onto trucks, and make their escape, or they would be discovered, and the mission, with all its months of meticulous planning—data analysis, risky intelligence gathering by agents infiltrated into Iran, and more—would come to naught, and two dozen lives could be lost to the tender mercies of Iranian justice'.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The 2018 operation was a grand success. The revelations of the archive's contents proved that Iran had been lying for years about its nuclear programme, hiding its true military nature by claiming it was only for civilian use. This gave Donald Trump, who was then the US President, an excuse to withdraw the US from the Iran nuclear deal signed with much fanfare in 2015.
Israel was well aware that these measures could only delay the nuclear inevitable. The next step would be to give a physical body blow to the project, but in between came the Biden administration. Tel Aviv used this time to strengthen itself, and when Trump 2.0 was inaugurated, the Israeli leadership knew its time had come.
Israel is bound by what's famously called the Samson Option, a term named after the Biblical figure who killed himself and thousands of Israel's enemies by bringing down the pillars of the Gazan temple where he was held captive. Given the fact that Israel lacks significant landmass, it has made nuclear weapons the centrepiece of its strategic deterrence, thus conveying to its adversaries in no uncertain terms that it would be willing to cross the nuclear threshold in the event of an existential threat.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
A geographically bigger country like Bharat may think it's not bound by the Samson Option, but given the revolutionary changes taking place in arms and armament, and of course, modern warfare, the difference seems to be mitigating between a big and a small nation. Bharat needs to realise that the era belongs to those who pursue a proactive rather than a reactive policy. Of course, the action has to be a well-calibrated, responsible one, but in today's era, to wait for the act to take place can be too devastating to recover.
This should be the next evolutionary stage of Bharat's military tactics. You don't wait. You pre-empt. You ensure that the enemy is neutralised well before it is ready with its first move. Today, Bharat has every reason to rejoice the stupendous success of Operation Sindoor, but, taking a cue from the dear friend Israel, Bharat should start preparing for the worst. The enemy is now well aware of the giant leap taken by Bharat on the military front and is preparing itself accordingly. This is the time for the preparation of Operation Sindoor 2.0.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
As for Israel's Operation Rising Lion, Bharat should give silent support. Though there will be many bleeding-heart commentators in the subcontinent who would bemoan the attack on Iran, the fact of the matter is that the decline of the current Iranian dispensation will weaken the Islamist axis that invariably targets Bharat and its geostrategic interests. There is no denying that Bharat has maintained good relations with Iran, but it has been tactical in nature. Israel, on the other hand, is an all-weather friend.
A weakened Tehran is also bad news for Islamabad. Pakistan becomes much less important, geostrategically, for the US. The idea that Pakistan has ever been a reliable supporter of the US is a perception Americans have created to deceive themselves; in reality, Pakistan has harmed US interests far more than it has forwarded them. If Operation Rising Lion is effective in considerably weakening the current Iranian dispensation, if not managing the regime change, Pakistan would believe that it is now next in the line of the Israeli fire.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
One hopes the leadership of Bharat takes adequate lessons from Operation Rising Lion. The country needs to change. It has to change from being a reactive to an assertive power, but without compromising its ethical, moral compass.
Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Indian Express

37 minutes ago

• Indian Express

‘Midnight Hammer' to Strait of Hormuz: 10 new developments after US bombs Iran's nuclear facilities

Tensions between the United States, Iran, and Israel escalated dramatically on Sunday after US airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, which President Donald Trump claimed had 'completely and fully obliterated' key sites. The attacks have triggered a deadly wave of retaliatory strikes, international condemnation, and fears of a wider regional war. On Saturday night, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the US military had struck three of Iran's nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Trump declared the facilities 'completely and fully obliterated." Senior Pentagon officials on Sunday detailed a highly secretive and coordinated military operation against Iran, calling it a demonstration of American air and naval power at its most effective. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, both spoke publicly, though neither could confirm whether Iran retained the ability to produce a nuclear weapon. Hegseth reiterated President Trump's claim from the previous night that the nuclear sites had been 'obliterated.' General Caine did not. Caine said a final battle damage assessment was still pending, but initial reports indicated that all three targeted Iranian nuclear sites had sustained 'severe damage and destruction.' A US official has confirmed that B-2 bombers flew non-stop for 37 hours from Missouri to carry out the strikes. The global nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said that there has been 'no radiation leak' from any nuclear facility in Pakistan after the escalated military engagement with India. The Vienna-based global nuclear watchdog's reply, to a query from The Indian Express, ties in with the earlier response by the Indian Air Force that India has not hit any target in Pakistan's Kirana Hills, which is reported to house some nuclear installations. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on Sunday that he will travel to Moscow later in the day to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday morning. In a post on X, Araghchi condemned the United States, accusing it of a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) by attacking Iran's nuclear facilities. A representative of Iran's Supreme Leader said it is now Iran's turn to respond. He called for missile strikes on US naval forces in Bahrain and closure of the Strait of Hormuz to Western vessels. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned, 'They crossed a very big red line… We have to respond based on our legitimate right for self-defence." Several areas in central and northern Israel, including Nes Ziona, Rishon Lezion, Haifa, and a neighbourhood in Tel Aviv, were struck by Iranian missiles, according to Israeli state media and Fars News Agency. Videos show significant destruction in Tel Aviv. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned the US to 'expect regrettable responses' in response to its strikes on Tehran's nuclear sites, state TV reported. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump, calling the strike 'a pivot of history.' UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of 'a dangerous escalation,' and Pakistan condemned the US strike. Oman, previously mediating talks, called the attack a 'serious violation of international law. Iran's ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, has also called for an emergency Security Council meeting. In a letter to the UN, he described the US strikes as 'heinous attacks and illegal use of force.' Russia has "strongly condemned" bombings, calling the attacks "irresponsible" and a "gross violation of international law". Iran's Parliament has approved the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, though the final decision will be taken by the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's Press TV reported. The Strait is in the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, and accounts for a big bulk of the world's oil trade. Iran has in the past threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz on multiple occasions, but has never actually done it. The heightened risk of the closure is bound to raise concerns globally, including in India, particularly with regard to oil and gas supply security, and could lead to a jump in energy prices. India is the world's third-largest consumer of crude oil and depends on imports to meet over 85 per cent of its requirement. Israel closed its airspace as a precaution after the US strikes, though land crossings into Egypt and Jordan remain open, according to the Israel Airports Authority. Trump, speaking Sunday, said no military 'could have done what the US military has done.' He warned Iran of 'far greater' future attacks if it does not choose peace. 'There will either be peace or tragedy for Iran,' he said, adding that he acted 'as a team' with Netanyahu. The 'bunker buster' MOP is designed to attack 'deeply-buried facilities and hardened bunkers and tunnels' and is meant to destroy targets in well-protected facilities. Israel, or any country other than the US, does not have any non-nuclear weapon systems that can penetrate a site as deep as Fordow. A never-before-used American bomb — the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP — which is extremely heavy and can only be dropped using the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber aircraft of the US Air Force was used for the bombing. The latest strike seems to have achieved that target, even though the extent of damage at Fordow is still under speculation, primarily because of the depth of the enrichment site.

Time of India

41 minutes ago

• Time of India

Marco Rubio warns Iran against closing Strait of Hormuz, calls it ‘economic suicide'; urges China to intervene\

US Secretary of State on Sunday cautioned Iran against closing the Strait of Hormuz, calling it 'economic suicide,' and urged China to use its influence to dissuade Tehran amid rising tensions in the region. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now His remarks followed reports that Iran's parliament had approved a proposal to shut the vital waterway. 'If Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, it will be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it and we retain options to deal with that,' Rubio said on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo. He added, 'I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil.' The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, with around 20% of global oil and gas supplies flowing through it. Its closure, Rubio warned, would be a 'massive escalation' and 'would hurt other countries' economies a lot worse than ours.' Iran's Press TV reported earlier that while the parliament has passed the measure, the final decision rests with the Supreme National Security Council. Revolutionary Guards commander and lawmaker Esmail Kosari said, 'The closure of the strait is on the agenda and will be done whenever necessary.' The proposal comes amid heightened hostilities between Iran, Israel, and the US, with Washington recently launching airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Energy analysts warn that any disruption in the strait could trigger a sharp rise in global oil prices and worsen geopolitical instability. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In a related comment on Iran's nuclear programme, Rubio said the US is still open to negotiations. 'The Iranian regime should wake up and say 'OK, if we really want nuclear energy in our country, there's a way to do it.' That offer's still there, we're prepared to talk to them tomorrow,' he said. Rubio reiterated that the US is willing to support Iran's civilian nuclear power ambitions, provided it does not enrich its own fuel. 'Ultimately, they have to make a decision... there are many countries that have nuclear reactors without enriching uranium,' he said.

Time of India

42 minutes ago

• Time of India

Can Iran still get nuclear warheads? Russia's Dmitriy Medvedev says US strikes may backfire as Iran may now begin nuclear weapons production

After US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, Russia claimed the actions have led to increased support for Iran's nuclear program. Dmitriy Medvedev said multiple countries are now ready to assist Iran with nuclear warheads. Medvedev Reacts to US Strikes Dmitriy Medvedev posted on social media that the US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites may have failed to meet their intended goal. He said instead of stopping Iran's nuclear plans, the strikes could cause the program to grow. Medvedev claimed Iran will continue enriching nuclear material and may now begin nuclear weapons production. He also said several countries are prepared to supply Iran with nuclear warheads. Medvedev shared that Iran's leadership has become more unified and stronger since the strikes. He added that citizens who had once opposed the government are now supporting its spiritual leadership. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cardiologist Reveals: The Simple Morning Habit for a Flatter Belly After 50! Lulutox Undo Also Read: What to Watch This Weekend: Here's the complete list Russia Condemns Military Action Russia's Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the US strikes. The ministry said that bombing another sovereign state's territory violates international law. It referred to the United Nations Charter and Security Council resolutions to support its claim. Live Events Russia also called the US actions irresponsible. The statement urged an immediate end to aggression. It asked world powers to return the issue to political and diplomatic discussions. Medvedev Comments on Iran's Stability Medvedev said the Iranian government has remained in control. He also said the leadership has gained wider public support. According to him, people in Iran are uniting around their spiritual leaders. This includes those who previously did not support the government. Medvedev currently serves as Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council. He served as president of Russia from 2008 to 2012. Also Read: Will US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites trigger oil prices rise? Here's how markets may react US and Russia Plan Discussion Later in the day, reports said US President Donald Trump was planning to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The phone call was expected to take place after the strikes on Iranian soil. FAQs Why did Medvedev say Iran would get nuclear warheads? Medvedev said US strikes caused other countries to support Iran. He claimed some are ready to give Iran nuclear warheads , which may strengthen its nuclear program. What was Russia's response to the US attacks? Russia condemned the strikes as illegal. It said they violated international law and called for the situation to return to diplomacy.