Israeli officials admit Iran war not progressing at expected pace

2026-03-15 - 23:52

The war against Iran is not progressing according to the timeline Israeli military planners established at the outset of operations, security sources told Israel's public broadcaster KAN on Sunday. While unnamed officials described the opening strike of the campaign as "better than expected," they conceded that subsequent phases have fallen behind schedule, prompting discussions about potentially revising strategic objectives. Domestic uprising fails to materialize One significant challenge facing Israeli planners, according to the sources, is the difficulty of sparking widespread anti-government protests within Iran. Some pre-war assessments had predicted that Iranian citizens would take to the streets against their leadership as military pressure mounted, but this has not materialized despite three weeks of intense strikes. The absence of internal unrest has deprived Israel of a key strategic assumption that might have accelerated the campaign's progress. US and Israel planning additional steps The security sources claimed that Washington and Tel Aviv are preparing "additional steps" inside Iran that could influence the war's trajectory in the coming period, though they provided no details about what these measures might entail. The statement suggests continued coordination between the allies as they seek new ways to achieve their objectives against a resilient Iranian government. Military claims of success Despite acknowledging the campaign has fallen behind schedule, the Israeli military released extensive claims about its achievements thus far. Officials stated that approximately 100 air defense systems and 120 radar detection systems inside Iran have been destroyed, while roughly 70 percent of Iran's missile launch platforms have been put out of service. The military reported targeting around 2,200 sites linked to Iranian security and military institutions, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facilities, since operations began Feb. 28. According to the military, Iran has launched approximately 360 missiles toward Israel during the first two weeks of the war. War enters fourth week The US-Israeli joint attack on Iran has now entered its fourth week, having killed around 1,300 people including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation. The admission that the war is not progressing as planned suggests difficult decisions ahead for Israeli leadership as they confront the reality of a prolonged conflict with no end in sight.