Israel’s goal in its war against Iran is to accomplish the removal of “two existential threats,” according to Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer.
“One [existential threat] is Iran's military nuclear capability; the other is [its] ballistic missile capability,” Dermer told Newsmax.
Iran’s ballistic missiles have the capacity to destroy entire neighborhoods, Dermer added, so “to have a country like Iran that is trying to produce 300 of these things a month, 10,000 in threee years, 20,000 in six years, we've got to take action to remove that threat from over our heads. What we're doing is not only critical for Israel, it's critical for all of our Arab neighbors.”
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Operations Directorate Chief Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk reiterated these two strategic goals on Tuesday, saying that “[W]e are striking the terror regime, not the people, who deserve a better future. Those who endanger us are the leadership in Tehran, not the people walking the streets of Shiraz.”
“We will remain prepared on defense. I assess that the Iranians will continue trying to harm Israel,” Basiuk added, and that the IDF “will not allow a nuclear Iran to turn the Middle East into a graveyard.”
Dermer noted that Iran hates the United States as well as Israel, and that “they're leading people in chants, not just of death to Israel but death to America. We're the little Satan and America the Great Satan.”
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Despite condemnations from Arab countries in the region, they’re “rejoicing over this because Iran is not just a threat to Israel, it's a threat to them,” Dermer argued.
“This regime has oppressed the Iranian people for nearly half a century. Hopefully, in the wake of this, they will be able to win their own freedom. I think one day, when Iran actually is free, they will be great friends of Israel and great friends of America,” Dermer said, adding that “hopefully, you will see in the wake of this, I think real diplomacy and starting to get back to the path that we paved with the Abraham Accords and start seeing peace agreements throughout the region.”
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