Defense minister says the confrontation with Iran is far from over

At the Israel Defense Prize ceremony, the defense minister addressed regional developments and military activity in Lebanon, and declared: "The IDF is prepared to strike Iran with great force." Defense Minister Israel Katz said this evening (Wednesday) at the Israel Defense Prize ceremony that Israel continues to act forcefully against Iran's proxies in the Middle East, and stressed that the campaign against Iran is far from over.

"Right now, we are seeing, with great pride, our heroic fighters operating deep inside Lebanon against the Hezbollah terror organization, which acts on behalf of the Iranian regime, and inflicting heavy blows on it," Katz said. According to him, the IDF continues to operate against Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon. "The IDF evacuated a Christian neighborhood in Tyre yesterday and struck Hezbollah terrorists who had taken shelter there. Of course, the residents will now return to their homes," he noted. "We continue to strike Hezbollah terrorists everywhere for the security of the communities in the north and the State of Israel, and we categorically reject Iran's threats and its attempt to link the different fronts."

Later in his remarks, Katz spoke directly about Iran and warned against drawing premature conclusions about the end of the confrontation. "We must not think the work is done, the campaign against Iran is far from over."

Katz clarified that Israel is prepared to respond to any Iranian aggression. "If Iran attacks Israel, it will suffer a severe blow, as we did a few days ago. The IDF is prepared to strike Iran with great force."