Maj. Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan, former Deputy Chief of Staff of the IDF and former head of Israel’s National Security Council, addressed the possibility of Israel launching a strike against Iran without American participation, stressing that Jerusalem must maintain full operational freedom even when its interests diverge from Washington’s.
Speaking in an interview with Shira Kai on Channel 14, Dayan characterized the U.S.–Israel dynamic using a line from poet Yehuda Amichai: “The two of us together and each on our own.”
“We are together primarily on defense, state-level cooperation, and shared values,” Dayan explained. “However, we are on our own in the sense that we have no choice but to defeat Iran.”
According to Dayan, this core difference marks the strategic divergence between Jerusalem and Washington. “The United States is not attempting to decisively defeat Iran; it is seeking a utilitarian arrangement. Washington will almost always prefer an expedient deal over a just war.”
Dayan also addressed the American administration’s posture, cautioning against underestimating the regime in Tehran. “What [former President] Trump tends to overlook is that a nuclear Iran constitutes a threat to world peace. It is not solely a Middle Eastern crisis, nor is it only Israel’s problem.”
Highlighting the Iranian regime’s internal resilience, Dayan pointed out that despite domestic unrest, Tehran maintains a firm grip on power: “The regime manages to survive. It isn’t comfortable, and there is significant discontent, but it has not reached the threshold of a revolution.”
In this climate, Dayan warned, Tehran continues to buy time while Washington leaves open pathways for diplomatic agreements—an outcome he views as perilous for Israeli security.
“The primary danger remains Iran’s advancing nuclear-ballistic enterprise,” Dayan emphasized. “This threat affects global stability, yet Israel remains the only nation fully prepared to stand on the front lines against it.”