Israel keeps up Iran attacks with debate raging on when to stop

Israeli warplanes kept up their attacks on Iranian missiles systems, airfields and the Fordo nuclear site following U.S. strikes at the weekend, as debate raged in the country over how long the campaign should continue.

“Israel is striking regime targets with unprecedented force,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement Monday, including the internal security headquarters and the infamous Evin Prison for political prisoners. At a news conference on Sunday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to be specific on a timeline for ending the war, saying: “Once we achieve the goals, we will not continue beyond what is necessary. But we won’t end it prematurely either.”

Before the U.S. joined the battle, Netanyahu declared three goals: eliminate Iran’s nuclear program, end its ballistic missile capability and prevent it from sponsoring anti-Israeli militias such as Palestinian group Hamas, Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis. For some commentators, those sound like open-ended goals that won’t lead to a swift end to a war costing Israel tens of billions of dollars in weapons systems and lost productivity and driving residents daily into bomb shelters.