FM Sa'ar Declares Victory, but Fighting Will Continue
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Tuesday that Israel has effectively won its war with Iran, even as the conflict continues with no clear timeline for its end. Speaking on the 18th day of the war, Saar said Iran has been “dramatically weakened” and is no longer the same country it was before the joint US-Israeli strikes began on February 28. “We have already won,” he said, while adding that operations will continue “until the mission is complete.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Tuesday that Israel has effectively won its war with Iran, even as the conflict continues with no clear timeline for its end. Speaking on the 18th day of the war, Saar said Iran has been “dramatically weakened” and is no longer the same country it was before the joint US-Israeli strikes began on February 28. “We have already won,” he said, while adding that operations will continue “until the mission is complete.” He did not specify what benchmarks would define that endpoint, saying only that Israel is working to remove “existential threats” and that “one must be patient.”
Israeli officials say the campaign is aimed at degrading Iran’s long-term ability to attack Israel, while also creating conditions that could eventually allow internal opposition to challenge the regime. Saar acknowledged, however, that any actual overthrow of Iran’s leadership would have to come from within, saying “the regime can only be toppled by the Iranian people,” a sign that such a development is not currently expected.
The IDF has continued striking Iran’s missile launchers, storage facilities, production sites and assets tied to its nuclear program, alongside attacks on internal security forces. Despite those efforts, Iran has continued firing missile barrages at Israel, highlighting that it retains significant capabilities more than two weeks into the war.
The conflict has expanded regionally, with Israel also fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon while Iran targets US assets and allied states across the Gulf. At the same time, Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting a major share of global energy shipments and pushing prices higher. Saar described the move as “modern piracy” and said it presents a global problem.
Efforts to reopen the waterway have been complicated by allied hesitation. Several US partners have resisted calls from President Donald Trump to join a naval mission, citing concerns over escalation and a lack of coordination. Some European officials have signaled openness to participation, but say Washington must first clarify its goals.
So the official line, stripped of the polish, is this: Israel says it has already won, Iran is still firing missiles, the region is on edge, and nobody seems entirely sure when this “won” war is supposed to end.