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Operation Rising Lion: Israel, the US, and Iran in the Age of Strategic Deception and Psychological Warfare

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  • Yair Galily

Abstract

This article examines the strategic and psychological warfare underpinning Operation Rising Lion, Israel’s covert and kinetic strike against Iran in June 2025. Drawing from recently declassified documents, media analysis, and expert assessments, the article analyzes how deception, infiltration, and cognitive manipulation dismantled Iran’s internal defenses and misled its leadership. This operation marks a turning point in modern warfare, wherein psychological paralysis preceded physical destruction. The article evaluates how US–Israeli collaboration and strategic misdirection leveraged Iran’s own doctrinal assumptions against it.

Suggested Citation

  • Yair Galily, 2026. "Operation Rising Lion: Israel, the US, and Iran in the Age of Strategic Deception and Psychological Warfare," Contemporary Review of the Middle East, , vol. 13(3), pages 432-441, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:crmide:v:13:y:2026:i:3:p:432-441
    DOI: 10.1177/23477989261448609
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