Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei personally ordered missile strikes aimed at concentrations of Israeli civilians, a senior Israeli cabinet minister told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
"All of their conduct in recent days shows exactly why we had to act," the minister said. "They have no restraints. This is intentional. With their own hands, through these attacks, they are building the case against themselves."
Israel now expecting a shorter timeline for Iran war
Israel had prepared for the possibility that the war could last for weeks, but that timeline may now be shortened.
Two Israeli officials told the Post that Israel achieved full air superiority over Tehran earlier than expected. “The initial assessment was that air dominance would be reached only by midweek and beyond,” the officials said.
“But on Sunday, we carried out strikes in broad daylight over Tehran, showing that full aerial control had been established within just 48 hours of the fighting.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz even tweeted, “The skies over Tehran are like the skies over Beirut,” referring to Israel's freedom of operation in both airspaces.
On Saturday, the Israeli cabinet convened for a special meeting during which ministers were briefed on the latest developments. They were also updated on efforts to persuade the United States to join the campaign. "We hope it will happen," an Israeli official told the Post.
Israel, US coordinate on defense as Trump distances himself from strikes
As part of that effort, on Sunday evening, Defense Minister Israel Katz spoke with his counterpart, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, in an attempt to bring the Americans into the fighting.
US President Donald Trump said in an interview with ABC News: “We’re not involved in the war right now. But it’s possible we could get involved.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was asked in a Fox News interview about the possibility of Trump joining the conflict. “I trust Trump—the decisions are his,” Netanyahu said. “I’ve said that if the president reaches an agreement that serves these objectives, that’s perfectly fine.