The defense minister said that there is no place in Iran for Islamic Regime officials who harm Israel to hide.
Speaking at the IAF pilots’ graduation ceremony on Thursday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said the graduates symbolize the long arm of the IDF, which can strike anywhere in Iran, from Tehran to Isfahan to Tabriz.
The graduates were also “a direct message to the dictator [Iranian Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei and to the ayatollahs in Iran about the destructive power of the air force should Iran test the Jewish state’s patience,” he said.
There is no place where Iranian officials who harm Israel can hide, he added.
IAF Commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar said: “We bridged the challenge of 1,800 kilometers and transformed Iran from a ‘third circle’ [faraway] country to a ‘first circle’ [nearby] country.”
“The military campaign has not ended,” he said. “We are ready to act again anytime it is needed.”
PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz attend a meeting of the Knesset plenum earlier this month. Now is not the time to rush headlong into a ceasefire with Hamas, the writer argues. (credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)
Katz says that the IDF will strike Iran if needed
Katz said the IDF was ready to attack again and with even more force than last month.
He also shared a personal note that he grew up near an air force base. The loud noise of aircraft taking off did not scare him; instead, they deepened his sense of safety, since he knew who was protecting him, he added.
Prior to the airstrike against Iran, Katz said he had met with many pilots and asked them how they felt about the very real scenario in which they could be shot down and killed or captured forever in Iran.
Katz said he was told: “We have no hesitations. We are determined to do everything we can to defend the State of Israel.”
The IDF’s blockbuster accomplishments in June were akin to its game-changing surprise attacks on the Egyptian and Syrian air forces during the Six Day War, Katz said.
Yemen’s Houthis would pay a large price for their continued attacks against Israel, including early on Thursday morning, he said.
Despite Katz’s reassurances regarding the Houthis, Israel has not yet found a military pressure point to stop the Houthis from firing missiles.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said the IAF’s preparation and courage were critical to the success of operations against Iran.
The daring and audacious nature of the mission would not have been possible without the ultra-rigorous training the pilots go through before they get to fly advanced fighter jets, he said.
The IAF was also crucial in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, Zamir said.
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