Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Iran is renewing its effort to build nuclear weapons under Mojtaba Khamenei. He argued that bringing down the Iranian regime is the only way to remove the threat permanently.
The warning reaches Israeli voters days before they go to the polls. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel has detected suspected attempts by Iran and its proxies to launch attacks aimed at influencing the outcome of next week's election.
Katz delivered the message at a graduation ceremony for IDF officers. He described the Iranian regime as being at its weakest point and addressed Tehran directly: "We see your attempts, we are prepared to thwart them, and we are ready to strike you with full force." He closed with a blunt threat: "If Iran attacks Israel—Iran will burn!"
On October 20, Katz warned Hezbollah that it would face a severe response if it joined an Iranian attack on Israel. In those remarks, he said Israel had established a security zone covering 700 square kilometers inside Lebanese territory and that the IDF would not leave it until Hezbollah is disarmed.
