TEHRAN – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s vision of a swift and successful strike against Iran has turned into what many, including Israeli analysts, now describe as a strategic miscalculation of historic proportions.

A week after the pause in hostilities against Iran, the situation is far worse than what the Israeli regime expected it to be.

As reported by Haaretz, the conflict that started with an unexpected Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities has not succeeded in undermining Tehran’s civilian nuclear program and has instead resulted in increased national solidarity among Iranians. The article openly acknowledged that the conflict, particularly the attacks on civilian areas, escalated public outrage in Iran, bringing together both proponents and opponents of the Iranian government against external aggression.

“After 12 days of war, the Iranian people are extremely angry. Even those who were previously opposed to the government are now writing on social media: ‘We will fight any aggressor for the sake of our country,’” the Haaretz article noted.

What Netanyahu had hoped would be a demonstration of Israeli strength and deterrence has instead sparked widespread condemnation and revealed significant strategic flaws. 

Now, even Netanyahu’s closest allies are facing growing public scrutiny – widely seen across social media. The war has not only failed to deliver its intended outcome but has also exposed Israel to an unprecedented level of strategic and infrastructural vulnerability.

Meanwhile, the scale of physical destruction inside Israel has been unprecedented. Iran’s retaliatory missile strikes caused extensive damage in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and other key areas. According to Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection, an estimated 800,000 tons of construction debris have been produced — roughly 10 to 15 percent of Israel’s annual construction waste, accumulated in less than two weeks. The figure reflects the collapse of dozens of buildings.

Amid this crisis, Israel has imposed strict media censorship, barring foreign journalists from reporting on or documenting the full extent of the destruction. The actual death toll, number of injured, and losses to military and intelligence infrastructure remain undisclosed — widely believed to be far greater than officially acknowledged.

In response to the devastation, Israel has ramped up military imports at an extraordinary pace. A steady stream of Western cargo planes — primarily from the United States — continues to arrive at Israeli airbases, delivering advanced weaponry and equipment in preparation for a possible second phase of confrontation.

Yet despite this influx of support, the war has severely shaken public confidence and exposed deep vulnerabilities within Israel’s strategic posture. 

Even within Israeli society, the psychological toll has been staggering. Some of settlers have fled the occupied territories, and those who remain are grappling with the emotional trauma of a war they neither expected nor were prepared for — especially given the scale of Iran’s retaliation.

The long-held fantasy of "regime change" in Iran — once promoted by figures close to Netanyahu — has also faded. Instead, the war has amplified Iranian resilience and national pride.