Key Points and Summary – Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has issued a stark public warning to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, stating that Israel is prepared to strike Iran again if it attempts to restart its nuclear program.
-In an open letter, Gallant confirmed that Israel has had “boots on the ground” inside Iran for 15 years, giving it the intelligence to monitor any rebuilding efforts.
-The warning comes as officials believe Iran’s stockpile of highly-enriched uranium is likely buried but recoverable at the damaged Fordow facility.
-Gallant’s message is unambiguous: “what you build, we will likely see… And what we strike, you will struggle to replace.”‘
Israel Could Very Well Attack Iran Again
Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a warning to Ali Khamenei this week, warning the Iranian Supreme Leader in a letter to abandon plans to restart the nation’s nuclear program in the wake of U.S. and Israeli strikes.
In the letter, which was made public, Gallant described how he has watched Khamenei closely for almost thirty years, observing his rise to power and taking action during his time in government to bring an end to his nuclear weapons program.
“We have never met, but I trust we know a great deal about one another,” Gallant said.
“As defense minister, I was responsible for turning decades of Israeli intelligence air force capabilities, and strategic doctrine into a single, coordinated military plan,” he continued, adding that his efforts cut through Iran’s “Ring of Fire” like a “hot knife through butter.”
Gallant claimed to be partly responsible for Operation Rising Lion, the name given to Israel’s military operation in Iran launched on June 13, 2025.
The former Israeli official said his work as defense minister ensured the operation was “not merely a military campaign” but a “strategic collapse of a system [Khamenei] spent four decades constructing.”
A Warning to Iran
Perhaps most notably, Gallant’s letter confirmed what analysts have already deduced from comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: that Israel is prepared to strike Iran again if attempts are made to recover highly-enriched uranium from the damaged Fordow nuclear site.
Gallant also confirmed reports that Israel has operatives embedded within Iran, and has done for the last 15 years, providing crucial updates on the nation’s nuclear plans.
“But what you build, we will likely see,” he said, adding that whatever Israel sees, it will strike.
“And what we strike, you will struggle to replace,” he said.
At the end of the letter, Gallant advised Iranian leadership against rebuilding the nuclear facilities, enriching uranium, or rebuilding proxy networks to attack Israel. The former defense minister described this post-war period as a “defining moment” for Khamenei, insisting that the Iranian regime would pay a “heavy price” for restarting its nuclear program.
The public warning comes as reports confirm that Iran could recover some uranium from its nuclear sites. Under the condition of anonymity, a senior Israeli official told Reuters in recent days that intelligence suggests Iran did not move its highly enriched uranium stockpile before U.S. airstrikes last month, meaning that roughly 400 kilograms of 60%-enriched uranium has not moved since the attack and is probably buried beneath rubble.
Another Israeli official told U.S. reporters that while it would be difficult for Iran to reach the uranium, it is technically possible for it to be retrieved.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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