TEHRAN – U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged the devastating impact of Iran’s missile campaign against the Israeli regime during a NATO summit in Hague on Wednesday, stating, "Israel got hit really hard. Oh boy, those ballistic missiles took out a lot of buildings."

His remarks underscore the success of Operation True Promise III, Iran’s meticulously executed act of self-defense responding to Tel Aviv’s unprovoked aggression on June 13. 

The 12-day war, which came to a halt after the two sides agreed to stop fighting on Tuesday, exposed critical vulnerabilities in the Israeli regime’s military and economic infrastructure while cementing Iran’s deterrence capabilities.  

The war machine paralyzed 

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched 22 waves of strikes targeting Israel’s military, intelligence, and industrial nerve centers. 

Iran’s ballistic missiles—including the multi-warhead Kheibar and hypersonic Fattah-1 systems—penetrated Israel’s once-vaunted air defenses, rendering key facilities inoperable. 

- Military command crippled: The Kirya (Israel’s "Pentagon") in Tel Aviv sustained direct hits, disrupting central command functions. Camp Moshe Dayan, a hub for intelligence operations, was engulfed in flames, signaling Iran’s ability to strike the regime’s espionage apparatus.

- Air superiority erased: Critical airbases at Nevatim (home to F-35 stealth fighters), Tel Nof, Hatzerim, and Ovda were struck repeatedly, grounding squadrons and exposing the futility of Israel’s aerial dominance claims. 

- War industry in ruins: Facilities producing Israel’s missile-defense systems were prioritized. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems—manufacturer of the Iron Dome—suffered severe damage in Haifa, degrading Israel’s capacity to replenish interceptor stocks. The Kiryat Gat microchip complex, vital for drone and surveillance tech, was also struck. 

Economic lifelines severed 

Iran’s strikes systematically targeted Israel’s energy and logistics infrastructure, triggering cascading economic crises:

- Energy grid collapse: Power stations in Haifa, Hadera, and Ashdod were struck, causing blackouts across northern and southern occupied territories. The Bazan oil refinery in Haifa—a linchpin for military fuel supply—was shuttered indefinitely, costing an estimated $3 million daily in lost output. 

- Industrial paralysis: The Gav-Yam Negev Tech Park, housing cyberwarfare and AI firms tied to the regime’s intelligence, sustained heavy damage. Strikes near the Weizmann Institute (a known contributor to Israel’s clandestine nuclear program) further degraded research capabilities. 

- Compensation claims surge: The regime's authorities documented 74,607 damage claims—including 30,809 buildings and 3,713 vehicles—with Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, and Acre accounting for 85% of requests. Property losses in urban centers like Bat Yam and Beersheba exceeded $1.47 billion. 

Despite the substantial visible damage, the true extent of the Israeli regime’s losses remains obscured by stringent censorship. The regime swiftly enforced a total media blackout—barring foreign journalists from impact zones and issuing gag orders to local outlets. This deliberate suppression of imagery and information has led many observers to believe that the actual scale of infrastructural and strategic damage far exceeds official disclosures.