Israel sets Wednesday deadline to destroy all ‘critical’ targets in Iran

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Tuesday said that all critical and essential pre-war targets in Iran will likely be destroyed by Wednesday, marking a significant milestone in its ongoing military campaign.

According to a Jerusalem Post report, citing the IDF, Israel has completely destroyed its two most important categories of pre-war targets in Iran. However, these top-priority targets are only part of a larger list, and overall, about 60–70% of all identified targets have been destroyed so far.

“Critical” targets were defined as those posing an immediate threat to Israel, including ballistic missile industry sites and remaining nuclear-related facilities central to the war’s objectives.

“Essential” targets were described as a secondary tier, encompassing Iran’s broader military-industrial complex. While not posing an imminent threat during the conflict, these assets are considered vital by Iran for sustaining its military capabilities.

An example cited by the IDF includes satellite launch and anti-satellite platforms, as well as related research. These capabilities are seen as crucial for long-range weapons deployment and for countering Israel’s strategic advantages in space-based systems.

The remaining 30–40% of targets consist of elements tied to Iran’s long-term, non-strategic military operations. These are assessed as neither posing an immediate threat to Israel nor serving a key role in the production or deployment of strategic weapons.

When asked whether the IDF could conclude the war based on achieving its primary military objectives, sources did not dismiss the possibility.

However, they noted that continued operations could expand to include additional economic and operational targets, potentially further weakening Iran’s military and economic capacity.

Despite the reported progress, the IDF acknowledged it has not fully halted Iranian ballistic missile attacks. Officials estimate that Iran could sustain missile fire at a rate of 5 to 20 missiles for an extended period.

Meanwhile, military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said Israel is prepared for “weeks” more of fighting in Iran, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview the war was “beyond the halfway point.”

Lieutenant Colonel Shoshani said the decision is up to political leaders.

But “we are prepared to keep operating for weeks to come. We have the targets for that, the munition for that, the manpower for that, and it’s up to the leadership to decide,” Reuters quoted him as saying.

With inputs from agencies