Netanyahu orders IDF 48-hour blitz to eliminate Iran's arms industry — fears Trump will abruptly halt war (NYT)

The New York Times reported on March 25 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the IDF to eliminate Iran's arms industry within 48 hours, driven by concern that President Trump could abruptly halt the war. The report states Israel is worried that Trump's ongoing negotiations — the 15-point plan, Vance/Rubio talks, Pakistan/Turkey back channel — could produce a sudden ceasefire before Israel achieves its military objectives. Netanyahu's instruction to 'act swiftly' and compress the arms industry campaign into 48 hours is consistent with Israel's previously stated goal of permanently degrading Iran's military production capacity — a goal distinct from Trump's war-ending priorities. Iran's arms industry includes: missile and drone production facilities (Parchin, Khojir, Isfahan, Shiraz), IRGC weapons factories across multiple provinces, chemical and precursor plants, and the remaining elements of the nuclear programme's weapons-design infrastructure. The IDF has already dropped 15,000+ bombs on Iran in 26 days. A 48-hour intensification would represent the highest sustained bombing rate of the campaign. This order also explains why Israeli strikes continued into Day 26 even as US-mediated negotiations advanced.