TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Israeli Representative to Taiwan Maya Yaron offered reassurance and strategic updates on Israel's military campaign against Iran to the Taiwanese public on Monday (June 23) amid escalating regional tensions. Her briefing came just one day after United States forces bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities, marking a significant escalation in the conflict. "We are really at a crossroad, and this is an opportunity for a safer and more stable Middle East," Yaron said.
Speaking to reporters gathered in Taipei, Yaron emphasized the strategic importance of "Operation Rising Lion," which Israel launched on June 13 to neutralize what it describes as existential threats from Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The operation represents Israel's most significant military action against Iran in recent years. "Israel is the country that was threatened from day one of its existence, 77 years ago. Yet, now we are facing direct and deliberate attacks on our civilians," she said. "For us, this is an act of self defense, and we must do it to secure our future."
Yaron revealed that Israel's decision to launch the operation followed months of intelligence gathering that confirmed Iran's accelerated efforts to develop nuclear weapons while simultaneously deceiving international monitors and diplomatic channels. The intelligence findings prompted Israel's security cabinet to authorize the military campaign after determining the threat had reached a critical threshold. "The aim of Rising Lion is very clearly stated. We are to neutralize the nuclear and the ballistic missile program. We need to roll back the threat so we will no longer have an existential, immediate threat," she emphasized.
"I want to make it clear that we are not done yet. There are still military targets, and we are not going to stop until we're going to achieve the fully military aims that we have set for ourselves," she continued, her tone resolute as she prepared to respond to questions about the operation's timeline. "For this military campaign, Israel is committed to achieve its end game, and it's going to require more time, as much time as necessary, to accomplish the quality of those targets." Yaron's statements indicate Israel is prepared for a potentially extended military engagement despite mounting international pressure for de-escalation.
According to Yaron, the operation has specifically targeted military facilities and key scientists involved in Iran's nuclear program, with precision strikes designed to set back Tehran's nuclear ambitions by several years. Israeli intelligence estimates that Iran's ballistic missile production, which reportedly aims to manufacture 10,000 missiles within three years, poses what Israel considers an existential threat to its security. She noted that Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and several other countries, coordinates efforts to encircle Israel with a network of proxy forces, including Lebanon-based Hezbollah, Yemen's Houthis, and Palestinian Hamas.
Yaron presented Israeli findings showing what she described as Iran's long-standing pattern of clandestine hostility against Israel across multiple domains — land, air, sea, and cyberspace — including operations targeting Israeli embassies and Jewish institutions worldwide through its intelligence networks. "The communication and coordination between the US and Israel was very close, she went on. "Both share the same vision of peace through strength, and they both bring us to a pivotal moment that we're now standing at."
During her presentation, Yaron displayed satellite imagery highlighting what she characterized as the stark contrast between Israel's precision strikes against military objectives and Iran's indiscriminate missile attacks on Israeli population centers. According to Israeli authorities, these Iranian attacks have resulted in the deaths of 24 civilians, including children and foreign diplomats stationed in Israel. Hospital reports indicate that hundreds more have been injured in these missile barrages, which Yaron said deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure rather than military installations.
Yaron shifted her focus to what she termed the "information battlefield," warning about sophisticated disinformation campaigns. "In addition to physically defending our Jewish homeland, we are also engaged in a cognitive war – an intentional effort to manipulate minds and perceptions. We, who belong to the Free World, must remain aware, resilient and united in the face of these tactics to distort truth," she stated. The Israeli representative urged Taiwanese media to scrutinize sources carefully when reporting on the conflict, noting that Iran operates numerous front organizations designed to influence international public opinion.
According to the representative, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion only after exhausting diplomatic channels over several years, including appeals to the United Nations Security Council and private communications through intermediaries. The operation represents what Israeli officials describe as their last remaining option to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability, which they believe would fundamentally destabilize the entire Middle East region. Throughout her presentation, Yaron repeatedly emphasized that Israel remains committed to defending its security while adhering to international legal frameworks, though she acknowledged the complex legal questions surrounding preemptive military action.
As the conflict intensifies, diplomatic missions across Taipei are monitoring developments hourly, with several Western nations reportedly preparing evacuation contingency plans for their citizens in the Middle East. Israel's military campaign has exposed the intricate web of alliances and rivalries that define Middle Eastern geopolitics, with Saudi Arabia maintaining conspicuous silence while Turkey has condemned the Israeli strikes. Analysts in Taiwan's foreign policy establishment suggest the coming days may bring either renewed diplomatic initiatives from European mediators or further military escalation, depending largely on Iran's response and potential involvement of its powerful allies Russia and China. ◼
