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A former director of intelligence of Israeli spy agency Mossad has told Sky News it was "shocking" how quickly Israel "took down" Iran's air defences.
On 13 June, the Israeli military started carrying out aerial attacks on Iran, hitting sites including some of its most important nuclear installations. Since then, Israel and Iran have been trading missile strikes.
Zohar Palti told The World with Yalda Hakim that it took his country's air force 36-48 hours to "dominate completely" the skies above Iran.
"This is shocking in a way. This is amazing," he said.
He added: "We thought that it would be much harder, you know, because I don't want to brag or do things like that. I mean, it was much more fast than we anticipated."
Mr Palti said he believes that in two days to a week, Israel "can call" a ceasefire.
"We will need of course the international community and when I say the international community, it's basically the Americans in this case and no doubt we will need the support of the E3, meaning the Europeans," he added.
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and points to its right to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment.
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In the latest bombing, Israel said its air force destroyed the headquarters of Iran's internal security service.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any US strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will "result in irreparable damage for them" and that his country would not bow to Donald Trump's call for surrender.
On Wednesday, President Trump would not say whether he has decided to order an American strike on Iran.
English (US)