Israel stunned and hobbled Iran last week when it pulled off an intelligence and military operation years in the making that struck high-level targets with precision. Guided by spies and artificial intelligence,

The Israeli military has damaged critical nuclear infrastructure and killed scientists, but Tehran’s most formidable enrichment plant remains.

What’s more, Iran’s nuclear programme has continued to advance since Donald Trump withdrew the US in 2018 from the joint comprehensive plan of action (JCPOA). This was the 2015 deal negotiated during Barack Obama’s presidency that rolled back the country’s nuclear capabilities in return for a relaxation of harsh sanctions against Iran.

Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee member MK Boaz Bismuth tells Arutz Sheva: "This war is essential - any agreement is a lie that leads to a nuclear bomb and Israel’s destruction."

Israel called it a preemptive strike designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has denied plans to develop such weapons and retaliated by launching counterstrikes on Israel.

Both sides are aware a US intervention could be decisive, bringing bunker-busting ordnance, unavailable to the Israel Defense Forces, that are powerful enough to penetrate Fordow, a nuclear facility buried under a mountain.