IDF chief: campaign at 'halfway' stage; Iran's Diego Garcia strike proves Berlin, Paris, Rome all within range

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir made two significant statements on Day 22 (Saturday, March 21, 2026), as reported by the Times of Israel: 1. CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT — 'HALFWAY': The IDF chief declared the military campaign against Iran is at its 'halfway' stage. This is the first official Israeli characterisation of campaign progress and implies the IDF expects the war to continue for at least another three weeks at current operational tempo — running through mid-April 2026. This assessment runs contrary to Trump's 'winding down' signals (Day 21) and aligns with Defense Minister Katz's statement that strikes will 'escalate significantly' in Week 4. It suggests a material gap between US and Israeli timelines for concluding operations. 2. EUROPEAN RANGE WARNING — DIEGO GARCIA: The IDF chief stated that Iran's ballistic missile strike on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean demonstrates that 'Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within range' of Iranian ballistic missiles. This framing: - Escalates the geopolitical stakes for European nations currently standing aside - Directly contradicts European assessments that the conflict is geographically contained to the Middle East - May be intended to pull reluctant European allies (UK, France, Germany) into providing greater military or logistical support - Echoes earlier UK-France statements calling Iran's Hormuz behaviour a global threat but without committing forces CONTEXT: Iran has demonstrated a wide ballistic missile envelope. The Shahab-3 and Khorramshahr series have ranges of 2,000–3,500km — insufficient to reach Berlin (6,200km). However, the IRGC's demonstrated use of Khyber Shekan (3,500km) and the hypothetical Shahab-6 capability suggests Iran could strike southeastern Europe. Diego Garcia (~4,000km from Iran) was within range, validating the extended-range threat.