Israel and Iran Enter Second Week of Conflict Amid Regional and Global Concerns

As the first week closed, most analysts agreed that neither side had achieved a decisive advantage. Israel’s technological edge and superior airpower allowed it to inflict significant damage on Iran’s military infrastructure, but Iran’s capacity for missile retaliation and highly-motivated proxy forces meant that Israel had nowhere to hide. Both armies endured significant losses, and neither government signaled readiness to halt. Instead, the language of “total victory” and “existential threat” predominated, setting a grim outlook for the immediate future.