Hulata Warns Limited Strikes Could Leave Iran’s Nuclear Threat Intact

Former National Security Council head Eyal Hulata warned in remarks published Sunday that a limited attack on Iran could leave Israel in a worse strategic position if it failed to resolve the central nuclear threat. He said the measure of an operation should be its outcome and whether it improves Israel’s security. “The question is not whether a strike or an agreement is preferable,” Hulata said. He argued that repeated attacks which failed to destroy the site known as Pickaxe Mountain could encourage Iran to entrench there and finish its work. In his assessment, Iranian leaders could also conclude that acquiring a nuclear weapon would protect them against further attacks and attempts to overthrow their regime. Hulata distinguished Israel’s considerations from those of the United States. He assessed that President Donald Trump was further from deciding on an attack, particularly after the American midterm election results, because military action would not necessarily solve the problem. He described Trump as a major supporter of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while suggesting that some people around the president increasingly viewed that support as politically costly. He identified Vice President JD Vance as probably prominent among those voices, presenting that as his own assessment of Washington. Hulata also stressed the limits of intelligence knowledge, referring to his years in the Mossad and to past intelligence failures. His warning combined concern about Iran’s possible intentions with caution about assuming that an attack would remove the danger.