A new phase in the war on Iran: what are its features and objectives? A military expert answers.

The confrontation between the United States, Israel, and Iran has entered a new phase described as 'seizing the initiative,' with each side defining its goals and using tactics to maintain military momentum.

“The confrontation between America, Israel, and Iran has entered a new phase, titled seizing the initiative, as each side defines its goals and uses its tactics to maintain military momentum”

Al-Jazeera Net

Military expert Colonel Nidal Abu Zaid says that after three weeks of fighting, the phase has become one of brinkmanship aimed at sustaining momentum and gaining as much advantage as possible over the other side.

Al-Jazeera Net

Iran managed to achieve direct success by targeting Haifa in the north, the strategic region that includes power plants and petrochemicals, using advanced guidance systems and radar signatures.

Israel, in contrast, targeted sites detected by American aircraft and Israeli sensors to disable these systems.

Al-Jazeera Net

As a result, Iran redirected its strikes to central Israel using fragmentation and cluster missiles, reflecting a shift in tactical focus.

Abu Zaid explains that fragmentation missiles contain several small missiles inside the explosive head that split at a specific distance, while cluster missiles carry explosive warheads that scatter a group of bombs over a defined area to hit a regional target.

“The confrontation between America, Israel, and Iran has entered a new phase, titled seizing the initiative, as each side defines its goals and uses its tactics to maintain military momentum”

Al-Jazeera Net

The article notes that target selection follows a target-versus-target logic: Iran hit Haifa's refineries, while Israel hit sites detected by American aircraft and Israeli sensors to disable these systems.

Iran then redirected its strikes toward central Israel using fragmentation and cluster missiles.

Iran has launched about 66 waves of missiles over the past three weeks, striking central Israel and the Haifa area from north to south, hitting more than 150 areas and causing 21 deaths and more than 4,000 injuries, according to Israeli media.

The current phase depends on moving between seizing the initiative and sustaining momentum, with ongoing exchanges of attacks and counterattacks that illustrate the battle's complexity.

Al-Jazeera Net

Since February 28, Israel and the United States have been carrying out attacks on Iran, resulting in the death and injury of hundreds of people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Ali Larijani, and the ministers of intelligence and defense and the commander of the Revolutionary Guards.

Iran responds by launching missiles and drones toward Israel, in addition to targeting what it describes as military bases and American interests in the region.