Katz: "There are signs that Iran is close to desperate steps. An attack will release us from any limitation"
The Minister of Defense threatened to return Iran to the "Stone Age" if it attacks. In Israel, meanwhile, they reject claims that Tehran warned against an Israeli attack on the strategic Ali-Taher ridge - where, according to sources, members of the Revolutionary Guards are holed up.
Israel has rejected claims reported today, Thursday, by the Reuters news agency, according to which Iran threatened to respond to an Israeli attack on the Ali-Taher ridge and that the assault was halted. The security establishment stated that IDF activity in southern Lebanon continues as usual without changes.
Meanwhile, Minister of Defense Israel Katz warned: "An Iranian attack on Israel will release us from any limitation — we will return Iran to the Stone Age and darkness." Katz made these remarks at a toast-raising ceremony ahead of Rosh Hashanah, alongside the Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Major General (res.) Amir Baram, and ministry staff.
"We will strike all national military and civilian infrastructure in Iran, including energy infrastructure, and return Iran deep into the Stone Age and darkness. The Ayatollah regime knows well why it does not attack Israel after we struck them with force twice, destroyed the nuclear program, eliminated Khamenei, and severely damaged their strategic capabilities," he said. He added that economic pressure and fear of an uprising could push Tehran toward desperate steps, but emphasized that Israel is well-prepared for any possibility.
Earlier, Reuters reported that Iran warned the United States that it would "respond with force" to an Israeli attack on the Ali-Taher ridge, where Iranian military personnel are reportedly holed up alongside Hezbollah fighters. According to the report, the message was conveyed via Oman in mid-August, leading to a delay in the assault due to American pressure. However, Israeli security officials maintain that there are no Iranians in the area.
Military commentator Ron Ben-Yishai noted that the IDF could have decided the battle on the Ali-Taher ridge much sooner, were it not for the presence of dozens of fighters and Revolutionary Guard officers in the strategic underground complex. He explained that American pressure to avoid regional escalation is likely dictating a cautious combat pattern, despite the IDF possessing the tunnel-clearing capabilities developed during the war in the Gaza Strip.
In Lebanon, reports indicate continued IDF strikes on buildings overlooking areas in Nabatieh, where army forces are operating as part of the ongoing mission on the ridge.
