TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Security sources from Israel said that the war against Iran did not proceed at the speed initially set by Israel at the beginning of the military aggression.
According to Israel's public broadcasting agency, KAN, as quoted by TRT World, unnamed security officials said on Sunday that the initial opening assault of the military aggression was "better than expected." However, the war has not progressed as swiftly as initially envisioned.
These sources added that a reevaluation of the war objectives towards Iran may be necessary.
The sources also indicated that one of the challenges facing Israel is the difficulty in mobilizing a large number of Iranian citizens to take to the streets to protest the government, something that, according to some Israeli assessments, could occur during the war.
They claimed that the United States and Israel are planning additional steps in Iran that could impact the direction of the war in the future.
In a previous statement, the Israeli military stated that one of the primary objectives of the air force during the early stages of the war was to achieve "air superiority" over Iranian skies.
According to the military, the strikes targeted about 2,200 locations associated with Iran's security and military institutions, including facilities owned by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as well as government and security institutions.
Targeting Iran's Missile Factory
The Israeli military said that they are preparing for at least three more weeks of operations in Iran, as there are still thousands of targets to be struck, both in Tehran and other parts of the country.
"We have thousands of targets ahead," IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told CNN on Sunday, as quoted by The Times of Israel. “We are ready, in coordination with our US allies, with plans through at least the Jewish holiday of Passover, about three weeks from now. And we have deeper plans for even three weeks beyond that.”
According to officials, the IDF is now focusing its efforts on dismantling Iran's military industry. Officials said that Israel's current war against Iran is different from the 12-day war in June 2025, and far broader.
During the previous war, Israel sought to counter the "existential threat" posed by Iran, which was claimed to be on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, as well as increasing its production of ballistic missiles.
The current war has given the IDF an opportunity to not only eliminate Iran's "existential threat" to Israel, but also Iran's "strategic threat" to the Jewish state "for the foreseeable future," said these officials.
As a result, the IDF is systematically endeavoring to weaken the entire Iranian defense industry, in addition to its ballistic missile capabilities, alongside its nuclear program.
The Iranian defense industry is vast, with many military bodies and private companies producing weapon systems—or components—including ballistic missiles, air defense, naval weapons, cyber capabilities, and even spy satellites.
The US and Israel have continued joint attacks on Iran since February 28, killing about 1,300 people, including the then Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Iran has responded with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf states, which they claimed targeted US military assets, resulting in casualties and damage to several civilian infrastructures and affecting the global market and flights.
Israel has targeted Iran's military industry in the past, including in October 2024 when the Israeli Air Force bombed a concrete mixer used to produce solid fuel used in long-range ballistic missiles. During the 12-day war in June 2025, Israel again struck various locations used by Iran to build ballistic missiles, air defense systems, and other weapons.
During the ongoing war, Israel has attacked more than 1,700 Iranian military industrial assets, and hundreds more are still on its target list.
This includes major companies that are part of Iran's IRGC—which manufactures Iranian ballistic missiles and other weapons—as well as small companies developing various components.
Israeli officials claim that these attacks have caused significant damage to Iran's ballistic missile production industry.
Israel has also targeted Iran's nuclear program, attacking a number of sites related to the development of atomic weapons, including research and development sites and companies building various components.
Meanwhile, according to Israeli officials, the attacks in Iran also continue to focus on "centers of power," including headquarters and command centers of the regime's suppression forces—internal security forces and Basij paramilitary forces.
The IDF estimates that between 4,000 and 5,000 Iranian soldiers have been killed in Israel's attacks, along with tens of thousands others injured, many of whom are members of internal security forces and Basij.
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