The Media Line: General Avivi to TML: Iran Needs ‘Plague of Darkness’—Elimination of Electricity Plants Will Halt Regime 

General Avivi to TML: Iran Needs ‘Plague of Darkness’—Elimination of Electricity Plants Will Halt Regime 

By targeting Tehran’s power grid and economic lifelines, the US-Israel coalition aims to secure a decisive victory without the need for US troops on the ground 

By Felice Friedson / The Media Line 

As the ongoing multifront war in the Middle East reaches unprecedented levels, US and Israeli forces are systematically dismantling the Iranian regime’s military and economic capabilities. Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi, founder and chairman of the Israel Defense and Security Forum, recently provided The Media Line with an inside look at the latest developments in the conflict. Despite the relentless barrage of attacks, Avivi remains resolute in his assessment: “Obviously, it’s very, very challenging, but we are winning decisively.” 

According to Avivi, this decisive momentum has been demonstrated not just in broad military strategy, but in highly targeted, dramatic operations. He detailed a recent operation where US forces, with Israeli assistance, rescued a downed American airman in Iran’s mountainous terrain. Avivi explained that the airman landed and walked “towards the top of the mountain to … a place where he can hide.” To facilitate the complex extraction, the US “built a whole base in the area in order to support the troops that were involved in the rescue itself,” while “Israel helped with intelligence, and also some of Israel’s elite units were involved.” 

Avivi reported that with 90% of Iran’s crucial military industries already obliterated, the US-Israel coalition is now targeting the regime’s economic lifelines, wiping out 85% of their petrochemical production. Reflecting on the financial devastation, he noted, “Tens of billions of dollars have gone to the drain.” He stressed the necessity of this approach, stating, “We need to reach the point where Iran cannot sustain anymore, where this regime cannot pay salaries, cannot sustain its economy and its military capabilities.” 

The general compared the current joint strategy to the Second World War dilemma with Japan, explaining that allied forces are seeking a way to force a surrender without putting boots on the ground. To achieve this, Avivi noted that President Trump has discussed targeting electrical grids and taking over Iran’s oil. Endorsing this as the next necessary step, Avivi warned, “They have to lose everything,” adding his prediction: “I mean, in a few attacks, this country will not function anymore at all.” 

Addressing Iran’s disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, Avivi argued there “shouldn’t be a problem for the US to take over the Strait,” calling it the right long-term move. Emphasizing the strategic importance of the waterway, Avivi explained, “Twenty percent of the oil and gas goes through this Strait,” asserting that “Whoever controls it has a lot of power. And this power shouldn’t be in the hands of this apocalyptic, crazy regime.” 

To bypass the heavily contested Strait, Avivi outlined an alternative energy corridor proposed through Saudi Arabia and Israel. By utilizing the Saudi east-west pipeline and moving oil from the Red Sea to Eilat and through Ashkelon, he stated that “Israel will become a corridor of energy that will supply huge amounts of oil to Europe.” He estimated that, combined with enhanced exports from the US, Venezuela, and Azerbaijan, this pipeline route could solve at least half of the global market issues caused by the closed strait. 

Avivi made it clear that, in his view, the war cannot end until the threat of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic capabilities is entirely neutralized. “If you want to get to the point where the Iranians give all the enriched uranium, where you have forces going in and dismantling all their underground cities with ballistic missiles. … This can be done only when the regime surrenders or falls,” he argued. 

To fully neutralize Iran’s remaining capabilities and ensure its surrender, Avivi advocated taking down the country’s electrical grid, which he believes will leave the state without functional banks, headquarters, or computers. “When you take down the electricity, they will have maybe a few days to use generators. … But this is good for a few days, not anymore. And once this is done, they’re done,” he explained. 

Comparing the strategy to the biblical Passover story, he called for “a plague of darkness in Iran, taking out their electricity plants and rendering this regime completely incapable.” However, Avivi clarified that the goal is not to punish Iranian citizens long-term. “You can destroy certain elements that can be rebuilt later on,” he noted, aiming to “enable the Iranian people to rebuild their future once there is a change of regime.” 

Describing the situation back in Israel, Avivi noted that civilians continue to face devastating ballistic missile attacks from Iran. While he stated that Israel’s advanced air defense intercepts over 90% of threats, he acknowledged the heavy psychological and physical toll. “People wake up in the middle of the night to sirens and in the middle of the day and little children,” Avivi lamented as he described the indiscriminate bombing of civilians by Iran, adding, “It’s not a regime that can continue to exist.” 

In the north, Avivi confirmed the Israeli army has pushed five to six miles into southern Lebanon to distance the threat of anti-tank missiles. When asked if the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will maintain this presence permanently, he responded, “Probably. We’ll see,” while noting that the Israeli air force is also actively attacking Hezbollah positions, dismantling their leadership, launchers, and the banks that sustain their economy. However, he emphasized that defeating Iran remains the primary objective, identifying Tehran as the financial engine for the broader network of “militias in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza.” He pointed out that “it’s the Iranian regime that is sustaining Hezbollah, that paid them in 2025, $2 billion.” 

While Israel degrades Hezbollah—having already killed over a thousand of its terrorists—Avivi argued that maintaining logistical superiority over Iran is the key to winning the broader war. He emphasized that Israel and the US are producing munitions around the clock while Iran’s factories lie in ruins with no ability to replace their weapons. Echoing a military maxim often attributed to Gen. Omar Bradley, Avivi said, “Amateurs talk strategy, professionals talk logistics.” 

Despite the progress, he urged patience: “We are winning the war. But we have to understand what was built in 47 years, you don’t destroy in a few weeks. It takes some time.” Summing up his overarching strategy, he declared, “Iran is the key. And we really need to cut the head of the snake”. 

Avivi expressed strong opinions on NATO’s refusal to join the war, calling it a massive historical mistake that could reshape global power dynamics. He predicted severe friction ahead, stating, “I think the US understands that they cannot trust NATO anymore. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the US leaving NATO.” He warned that Europe will soon have to rebuild its own armies to face a looming challenge from Russia. Meanwhile, he observed that the Israel-US bond is strengthening, potentially paving the way for an extension of the Abraham Accords once the war concludes. “The US understands that they only have one really serious, capable ally. Nobody else really stepped [up] and helped in this war,” he observed. 

While the immediate focus is on Iran and Hezbollah, Avivi noted that Israel remains committed to its objectives in Gaza, saying that the military currently controls over 50% of the strip. He offered a stern warning regarding the terrorist group’s future. “If anybody thinks that Israel will let Hamas stay armed in Gaza, this is not going to happen,” he affirmed. 

Addressing the scale of this multifront war, Avivi highlighted the urgent need for manpower and weighed in on the domestic debate over conscription exemptions. He strongly criticized the fact that some demographics have avoided military service during an existential crisis, arguing that the IDF must bring in all different societies in Israel. Calling for unity, he said, “In Israel, everybody needs to serve,” and noted that avoiding the draft “is completely against our Jewish values.” 

Reflecting on the conflict, Avivi revealed that the most surprising aspect for him was the sheer speed and efficiency of the US and Israeli success against Iran during the 12-day war last June, particularly the destruction of their air defenses in just a day and a half. Acknowledging that pre-war estimates of potential damages were much grimmer, he admitted, “With all the challenges that we have now, it’s not even 1% of what we thought it might be.”