U.S. intervention in Iran's aerial war with Israel has provoked mixed feelings among Iranians abroad, with some fearing for the safety of relatives back home and questioning whether bombing is the best way to topple the leadership in Tehran.

Although the operation achieved an impressive level of tactical success, with a swarm of warplanes penetrating Iran unchallenged following a long, undetected flight from Missouri, it will be far harder than the president has suggested to reliably evaluate the damage inflicted on Iran’s ability to manufacture a nuclear weapon.