The US-Israel strikes on Iran were greatest deception ops. in history - opinion

In one of the boldest and most brilliant deception operations in the history of warfare, the president of the United States and the prime minister of Israel succeeded in striking Iran with overwhelming force – catching the world, including a full chorus of commentators, journalists, and even retired generals, off guard.

The coordinated attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, stunning Tehran and leaving the international community speechless.

For years, and especially in recent months, the recurring chorus across news studios, op-eds, and security conferences was unanimous: “Israel would never dare strike Iran,” “The US won’t approve,” “Trump is all talk,” “There’s no backing, no capability, no green light.”

Some went further. They also mocked.

Now, following the strike that set Iran’s nuclear plants ablaze, those same commentators scrambled to switch sides. Suddenly, everyone had “known,” “warned,” “expected,” or “predicted” it all along. The teleprompters could hardly keep up with the narrative reversals.

The American-led operation, carried out in close coordination with Israel, wiped out most of Iran’s active nuclear infrastructure.

The initial Iranian response was stunned silence.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the attack as a “reckless bankruptcy” that violated the UN Charter and Security Council Resolution 2231. He warned the operation would have “eternal consequences.”

In recent days, both international and Israeli media descended into a circus of historical revisionism. Reporters who had insisted until 48 hours earlier that Washington would “never act” were suddenly detailing “months of preparation” as if they had been on the inside from day one.

One retired general, who just two days before the strike had confidently declared that “the US has no interest in attacking Iran and would never enter a needless war,” returned to the same studio post-strike to explain how “It was entirely in line with US military doctrine.”

Another pundit warned that “a US strike would humiliate the Iranians, and we shouldn’t go down that road.”

THE OPERATION, led by the American president with Israel’s prime minister, was rooted in a timeless military principle: strategic deception.

While the world focused on indictments, high-profile trials, diplomatic trial balloons, and doctored satellite imagery, a quiet, systematic, complex, and impeccably timed campaign was unfolding.

One Israeli media outlet even quoted what was claimed to be a Russian threat warning the US not to get involved. This was later directly denied by President Vladimir Putin himself, calling it “utter nonsense.”

As the media buzzed with threats from China and domestic turmoil in America, Israel and the US were deep in operational planning. Behind the scenes, they conducted quiet logistical coordination, mapped discreet access routes through Arab countries, and secured the silent backing of a regional coalition that preferred to stay out of the spotlight.

Even within Israel’s own security establishment, senior officials were kept in the dark until the final stages to avoid leaks.

The result? Absolute shock– not just in Tehran, but also across Europe, the UN, and most strikingly, among stunned reporters. One veteran Israeli TV anchor even asked his guest live on air: “Did we come out looking like fools?”

This masterstroke didn’t just shift the military balance in the region – it shook the public’s trust in the media establishment.

How many times can the public hear predictions proven false, analyses debunked, and denials collapse in real time – and still believe those who claim to “know everything?”

This time, the public watched the commentary crumble, one claim at a time. They saw who was right and who groveled. They understood: nothing replaces decisive leadership, covert execution, and unwavering cooperation between allies who answer not to media cycles but to strategic imperatives.

The world received a clear and unequivocal message: Israel and the US are aligned, and no effort will save the enemies of Israel and the free world.

This is a painful lesson for journalists who prioritized attacking Trump for being “crude” or “populist” over fact-based reporting.

It’s an embarrassing moment for generals who treated today’s warfare as if it were the Six Day War redux.

And it’s a warning sign for all who substitute wishful thinking for strategic analysis.

Trust has returned to bold leadership and to the capability of Israel and the US to outmaneuver their adversaries.

The public will draw its own conclusions – and apply its own judgment – when confronting media institutions that, at times, attempt to shape perception in contradiction to facts.