Israeli military chief Lt Gen Eyal Zamir and Defence Minister Israel Katz also indicated that further operations remain on the table, with Israel saying it will retain military deployments in Lebanon and stay prepared for any escalation.
File photo of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Xinhua/IANS)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that the conflict with Iran is “not over yet”, saying Israel is preparing for every possible scenario despite recent efforts to halt hostilities.
Addressing an Israeli Air Force graduation ceremony at Hatzerim Air Base on Thursday, Netanyahu said preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains a central objective of Israeli policy. He also said new security challenges were emerging even after what he described as significant setbacks suffered by Tehran.
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Netanyahu says Iran will not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons
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“The Iranian regime has been dealt a severe blow, and our policy is clear that Iran will not possess nuclear weapons, whether with or without an agreement. If we had not acted, Iran would have acquired nuclear weapons; the war is not over yet, and new challenges are emerging before us,” Netanyahu said, according to local media reports.
He also stressed that maintaining Israel’s air superiority remains a key pillar of the country’s defence strategy.
The remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump declared that the Washington-Tehran truce was “over” and said further diplomatic engagement with Iran would be “a waste of time” following recent military exchanges between the two countries.
According to ANI, Iran targeted commercial shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz before launching retaliatory strikes on US military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. The attacks followed US strikes on more than 80 Iranian targets and the reimposition of sanctions on Iran’s oil exports.
Echoing Netanyahu’s remarks, Israeli military chief Lt Gen Eyal Zamir said the campaign against Iran had not reached its conclusion.
“Major operations are still expected to lie ahead of us,” Zamir said.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also said the military was ready to resume operations against Iran if required.
“If we have to go back, we will go back with even greater force,” Katz said, adding that Israel remained alert to maintain its aerial superiority and counter regional threats.
Netanyahu said Israel had demonstrated the reach of its military capabilities “from Yemen to Iran”. He added that operations against Iran and its allied groups would continue.
He also said Israeli forces would remain deployed in Lebanon “as long as the need requires.”
(With inputs from ANI)
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