General Aviv Kochavi, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, commented on Iran nuclear program during his interview to an Israeli news website. In his remarks, Israeli commander threatened Iran to strike over its nuclear program.
In his interview with the website concerned, Kochavi said, “We have greatly accelerated our preparations for activities in Iran.” Highlighting that a considerable part of the Israeli defense budget was allocated for efforts to minimize “Iranian presence in the Middle East,” the Israeli general noted that the army would have various operation plans when the government decides to attack Iran.”
As Kochavi defined, Iranian proxies, including Hezbollah and Hamas, would also be targeted in such a scenario, according to him.
Saying that Iran constitutes “a global threat,” the Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz made a statement last month, expressed that his country is “ready to attack Iran.”
In his speech, Gantz said, “Iran seeks to pose a multi-front challenge to Israel by building up its power in Lebanon and Gaza, deploying militias in Syria and Iraq, and establishing supporters in Yemen.”
Recently, it is seen that the tension between Israel and Iran has risen due to Tehran’s nuclear activities.
Since April, Iran and world powers have been engaged in talks to revive the nuclear deal, which the United States unilaterally withdrew from in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump. The sixth round of the talks was completed last week after the Iran presidential election, in which hardliner President Ebrahim Raisi had a landslide victory, was held. The next round of the talks has not been scheduled yet.
Both sides urged other that the talks should not be last too long. On Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh stated that the diplomatic channels to reach an agreement over the reviving of the 2015 nuclear deal would not remain open forever, adding that President Raisi and his government are willing to maintain the Vienna negotiations.
“The Vienna talks should guarantee the supreme interests of Iran and the Iranian people, which the US had rejected, and Europe had practically ignored,” Khatibzadeh said.
