Tel Aviv: Amid surging regional frictions triggered by the breakdown of the Washington-Tehran truce, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a stern warning to Iran, asserting that the "war is not over yet" and confirming that Tel Aviv is preparing for all potential eventualities.
Delivering an address at the Israeli Air Force graduation ceremony at Hatzerim Air Base on Thursday, the Israeli Prime Minister emphasised that preserving the nation's dominant aerial capabilities continues to be the cornerstone of its national defence framework. He indicated that despite Tehran enduring notable reverses, fresh strategic hurdles are surfacing.
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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, as quoted by local media outlets.
The Israeli leader's assertions followed a day after US President Donald Trump pronounced that the truce was "over" and dismissed subsequent diplomatic engagements with Tehran as "a waste of time" in the wake of mutual military strikes between the two nations.
Tehran hit commercial shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz and subsequently carried out reprisal strikes against American defence bases in Bahrain and Kuwait after Washington pounded more than 80 Iranian targets and reinstated embargoes on Tehran's petroleum exports.
Paralleling the Prime Minister's caution, Israeli military chief Lt Gen Eyal Zamir stated that the offensive against Tehran is far from concluded and noted that the defence forces are actively drawing up fresh tactical frameworks.
"Major operations are still expected to lie ahead of us," he said.
Concurrently, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz affirmed that the defence apparatus stands prepared to restart kinetic actions against Iran if the situation demands.
"If we have to go back, we will go back with even greater force," Katz said, further noting that the state remains highly vigilant to preserve its aerial dominance and neutralise regional perils.
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Netanyahu observed that Tel Aviv has proven the operational capabilities of its military actions "from Yemen to Iran", while underlining that the comprehensive push against Tehran and its proxy networks is ongoing.
Furthermore, he reasserted that Israeli defence personnel would stay positioned in Lebanon "as long as the need requires."
