The 12-Day War: Strategic Doctrine, Legal Ambiguity, and the Fragility of Peace Between Israel and Iran

Abstract

This paper, based on offensive realism and deterrence theory, critically examines the preemptive strike of Israel against Iran's nuclear facilities on June 13, 2025. It attempts to analyse Israel's preemptive strike as an offensive manoeuvre and strategic positioning aimed at maintaining its supremacy in the region. The study utilises the qualitative research approach to analyse the strategic, legal, and diplomatic implications of the operation. It also examines the tenuous ceasefires that followed the operation. Conceptual/library research approach of the statements of the actors, media reports, and academic literature forms the basis of this paper, which also attempts to analyse the role of the U.S. as a strategic amplifier of the crisis. Through the application of the realist theory, combined with the power of discourse, the study provides a multidimensional view of the conflict in June 2025, shedding light on the ways in which the strategic theory, law, and politics intersect in the decision-making process. This study provides a comprehensive set of policy recommendations, categorised into four strategic clusters, namely, creating legal and normative restraints on the use of force, developing regional security architecture and institutional innovation, establishing crisis management and de-escalation mechanisms, and improving informal diplomacy and confidence-building, to address the strategic, legal, and political issues that arose in the context of the 12-Day War.