Tel Aviv (TDI): Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the military to develop a comprehensive plan to prevent Iran from posing any future threats to Israel, following last month’s 12-day war between the two countries.
“The Israeli military’s current mission is to prepare an enforcement strategy to ensure that Iran cannot threaten Israel again,” Katz said during a high-level meeting with military officials on Thursday. His remarks were released in an official statement by the defense ministry on Friday.
Katz emphasized the importance of maintaining air superiority over Iran, stressing the need for intelligence preparedness and operational readiness. “The air force must retain the capability to enforce restrictions on Iran and prevent it from rebuilding its military capacities,” he said.
The latest flare-up in the long-running shadow war between the two arch-rivals erupted on June 13, when Israel launched a bombing campaign targeting Iranian nuclear and missile facilities.
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Israel said the strikes were aimed at thwarting Iran’s alleged nuclear ambitions, a claim Tehran has consistently denied, and degrading its ballistic missile infrastructure.
Though a ceasefire was later announced with Us mediation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue efforts to block Iran from reconstituting its nuclear program, signaling that tensions remain far from resolved.
On June 27, Katz reiterated Israel’s position on social media, stating that the army would “act regularly to thwart such threats.”
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Israeli media have reported that the government may adopt a similar strategy to its Lebanon policy, where the Israeli military routinely carries out targeted strikes on what it claims are Hezbollah positions and operatives, despite a formal ceasefire agreement signed in November.
The recent war left a heavy toll on both sides. Israel reported being hit by more than 50 Iranian missiles, resulting in 28 deaths. Iranian officials, meanwhile, said that Israeli strikes killed over 900 people.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
