Israel is interested in ending the war with Iran as soon as possible, and maximizing the achievement of the U.S. military's successful attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, Israeli and Arab sources told the Wall Street Journal on Monday.
Israel expects to complete the attack on the list of military targets in Iran in the coming days, which could "create a path" for an end to the fighting, Israeli officials told the Journal.
However, they defined the current situation as "dynamic," and noted that "much depends on the Iranian response." It was also reported that the U.S. informed officials from Arab countries in the region that Israel "seeks to end the fighting as soon as possible" - and asked to convey the message to Iran.
Iran, for its part, responded that it is not prepared to withdraw at this stage, as it feels obligated to respond to the American attack on the nuclear facilities. An Israeli official emphasized that the IDF would continue to attack Iran as long as the Iranians continued to attack back - even if Israel ostensibly ended its attacks. "They will attack - we will attack," he told the Journal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that "we will not be dragged into a war of attrition — but we also will not end this historic operation until we have met all our goals.”
Overnight between Sunday and Monday , the U.S. attacked the fortified nuclear facility at Fordow, as well as the facilities in Natanz and Isfahan. The historic attack, carried out on the orders of U.S. President Donald Trump and dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, was preceded by reports of tense talks between the U.S. and Israel, and additional deception efforts designed to make Iran less suspicious of the upcoming action.
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The attack began when a U.S. submarine launched more than 24 Tomahawk missiles against targets in Isfahan, while at the same time U.S. military forces also attacked the Fordow and Natanz areas to allow safe passage for U.S. aircraft in preparation for dropping the weapons. About an hour and 40 minutes later, B-2 stealth aircraft - the most expensive aircraft in the world, which are only in the hands of the U.S. - began dropping bombs on the Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites.
General Dan Caine, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that a total of 14 bunker-penetrating bombs (MOPs) were dropped on targets in Iran. The MOP, or by its official name GBU-57A/B , is the most powerful non-nuclear "bunker buster." It is a 13.6-ton bomb, developed by the Pentagon with one main goal: destroying the nuclear site at Fordow. It is also called the "mother of all bunker busters."
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ran's nuclear facility in Fordow after US strikes
(Photo: AFP PHOTO/ SATELLITE IMAGE ©2025 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES)
The Iranians promised to take revenge for the U.S. joining the operation, and Tehran called the American attacks a "grave crime." The morning after the attack, the Iranians launched about 35 ballistic missiles at Israel, and hits were detected in Haifa, Be'er Ya'akov, Ness Ziona and Tel Aviv. At least 23 were injured. The Revolutionary Guards threatened that "the U.S. has become the front of aggression - we will respond to this aggression with a severe response that will make them regret it."