Major military deception scandal rocks “Israel”: How it deceived the world to market an “illusionary victory” narrative over Iran
OCCUPIED PALESTINE, July 04 (YPA) – An investigative report published by the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth has exposed what it described as “one of the largest deception scandals” accompanying Israeli military operations against Iran.
The report detailed an organized campaign led by the political echelon, backed by factions within the security and military establishments, to present a reality contrasting with the actual outcomes of the strikes that targeted Iranian nuclear and missile facilities.
According to the investigation, a narrative asserting a “decisive victory” and the destruction of the Iranian nuclear program was promoted both domestically and internationally.
Meanwhile, according to the newspaper, classified intelligence assessments indicated that while the strikes caused significant damage, they failed to achieve the declared objectives, leaving Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities intact to varying degrees.
Conflicting Assessments and Political Pressure
The investigation notes that Benjamin Netanyahu, alongside Donald Trump, announced that the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan facilities had suffered “complete destruction” and that the Iranian nuclear threat had been eliminated for many years.
However, the investigation confirms that internal reports from Israeli and American intelligence agencies, in addition to assessments within the US Department of Defense, did not support this narrative, concluding that the damage did not amount to the complete elimination of the nuclear program.
According to the newspaper’s findings, Netanyahu’s office pressured intelligence officials to sign off on assessments confirming the absolute success of the operation. However, several senior officials refused to do so, arguing that such conclusions were not supported by the available intelligence data.
Following this refusal, the narrative relied instead on a document issued by the “Israeli” Atomic Energy Commission, which asserted that the strikes disrupted enrichment facilities and delayed the Iranian nuclear program for years. However, the report states that the document overlooked the fact that the essential fissile materials were not destroyed, as Tehran had retained them in fortified sites.
According to scientific estimates cited in the report, this means that the actual delay of the program might be limited compared to the official narrative.
Exaggerated Missile Losses and Tactical Failures
According to the investigation, the controversy was not confined to the nuclear file but extended to Iranian missile capabilities. The report suggests that the official narrative exaggerated the scale of losses inflicted on the Iranian arsenal, while military estimates indicated that a significant portion of the missiles and production facilities remained intact, allowing Iran to maintain its military capabilities.
Furthermore, the investigation accuses the military establishment of concealing the results of internal assessments conducted after the operations concluded. It states these assessments concluded that the complete destruction of nuclear targets was not achieved, alongside an exaggeration of the impact of targeting Iranian nuclear scientists.
The report explains that the human losses—according to the information relied upon—did not lead to the dismantling of the scientific infrastructure of the Iranian nuclear program.
On another note, the investigation points out that the objective of overthrowing the Iranian regime, which was later added to the war goals, was met with severe reservations by “Israeli” intelligence agencies, which considered the idea unrealistic.
Nonetheless, the political leadership proceeded to adopt it before the confrontation ended without achieving this goal.
Official Denials and Conclusions
In contrast, Netanyahu, the spokesperson for the “army”, and the “Israeli” Atomic Energy Commission all denied the findings of the investigation. They emphasized that the military operations achieved major strategic successes and inflicted severe damage on the Iranian nuclear and missile programs, describing the newspaper’s publication as a misleading reading of the facts.
The Yedioth Ahronoth investigation concludes that the greatest danger lies not only in the outcomes of the war, but in the potential transformation of professional and military institutions into tools for marketing political narratives. This was deemed a threat to “Israel’s” capacity to make strategic decisions based on realistic assessments rather than media or political considerations.
YPA