Zamir says Israel not even halfway through Iran war; US says no end date

Discussions among senior commanders in recent high-level meetings showed broad agreement against stopping the offensive at this stage.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israel’s top military commander told internal forums that the campaign against Iran remains far from complete, as both Israeli and US officials indicate there is no defined endpoint to the war, Channel 12 reported Thursday.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Israel is “not even halfway” through the operation, according to the report, reflecting the military’s assessment that significant objectives remain unmet.

Discussions among senior commanders in recent high-level meetings showed broad agreement against stopping the offensive at this stage.

Officials involved in those deliberations warned that halting the campaign prematurely could lead to a renewed round of fighting within months, even after recent operations have significantly weakened Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities.

The Israeli assessment comes as US officials delivered a similar message about the trajectory of the conflict. Speaking in Washington, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said there is no fixed timetable for ending US involvement in the war.

“We wouldn’t want to set a definitive time frame,” Hegseth told reporters on Thursday, adding that “we’re very much on track.”

He said the decision to end the campaign would ultimately be made by US President Donald Trump. “It will be at the president’s choosing, ultimately, where we say, ‘Hey, we’ve achieved what we need to,’” he said.

Hegseth also said the US military “controls the fate” of Iran and reiterated earlier remarks that the United States is “winning” the war.