Yinam Cohen, Consul General of Israel to the Midwest, offered sharp insight into Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. He defended the strikes as a necessary preemptive action to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power, warning that failure to act now could result in a much more dangerous and far-reaching conflict.
Cohen emphasized that Israel initiated the operation independently and without the expectation of U.S. military assistance. However, he added that any decision by the United States to support the effort would be welcomed. He characterized the campaign not as a war but as a surgical operation designed to avert a potentially catastrophic war in the near future—one that could involve nuclear weapons.
According to Cohen, Israeli intelligence has confirmed that Iran has accelerated its uranium enrichment efforts to a level sufficient for nine nuclear bombs and has begun weaponizing the material, crossing what many in the international community consider a red line. He also pointed to Iran’s buildup of ballistic missiles, including intercontinental models capable of reaching Europe and potentially the United States, as evidence that the regime’s ambitions go far beyond the region.
Cohen stressed that the current military campaign is the culmination of more than two decades of failed diplomacy, during which Iran repeatedly negotiated in bad faith. He said that while Israel continues to support peaceful resolution efforts, experience has shown that Iran has used diplomatic negotiations as cover to advance its nuclear program.
The conversation also touched on growing concerns that the Iranian regime may have been involved in plots to assassinate former President Donald Trump. Although Prime Minister Netanyahu recently suggested Iranian involvement in at least two attempts, Cohen declined to provide specific intelligence, but reiterated that Iran views both Israel and the U.S. as existential enemies—Israel as the “little Satan” and the U.S. as the “great Satan.”
Cohen also addressed reports that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may be in cognitive decline, stating he could not confirm any details but emphasizing that decision-making power in Iran rests with a broad network of radical leadership, not one man alone.
Pressed on the question of regime change, Cohen stated that Israel’s goal is strictly to neutralize the nuclear threat. However, he acknowledged that a regime change in Iran—should it occur—would be a positive development for the Iranian people, the region, and the world, given the regime’s track record of repression, terrorism, and destabilization since 1979.
As debate continues in the U.S. over whether military involvement in Iran could lead to another prolonged foreign conflict, Cohen’s message was clear: the threat from a nuclear-armed Iran is not hypothetical, and the time to act is now.