Israel’s newly appointed Defence Minister Israel Katz on Monday (Nov 11) issued a stark warning to Iran. Katz, in a social media post, asserted that Iran’s nuclear sites are now “more exposed than ever” to potential strikes by Israel.
Eliminate the existential threat
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Katz declared it was a unique moment to “eliminate the existential threat” posed to Israel.
He revealed that during his first meeting with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) General Staff Forum, he emphasised: “Iran is more exposed than ever to strikes on its nuclear facilities. We have the opportunity to achieve our most important goal – to thwart and eliminate the existential threat to the State of Israel.”
In my first meeting today with the @IDF General Staff Forum, I emphasized: Iran is more exposed than ever to strikes on its nuclear facilities. We have the opportunity to achieve our most important goal – to thwart and eliminate the existential threat to the State of Israel. pic.twitter.com/HX4Z6IO8iQ
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) November 11, 2024
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Iran’s nuclear stash
Israel has long accused Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons, a claim that Tehran firmly denies, maintaining that its nuclear programme is peaceful. Tensions intensified after the United States, under President Donald Trump, withdrew from a 2015 nuclear agreement that had restricted Iran’s nuclear development. Since then, Iran has ramped up uranium enrichment to 60 per cent — alarmingly close to the 90 per cent required for atomic weapons-grade.
The recent escalation in tensions between the two nations has seen a cycle of missile strikes, with Iran launching missiles at Israeli territory twice this year. Israel has responded, most recently, on October 26, by targeting Iranian military facilities, even as it warned Iran against any retaliation.
(With inputs from agencies)