Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that he has instructed the IDF to prepare for a named offensive codenamed 'Blue and White' in Iran, and claimed external actors who were expected to join an effort to topple the Iranian regime were prevented from doing so. Katz's statement, without providing timing or operational specifics, follows his earlier references to the same codename last week.
Defense Minister Israel Katz made the remarks in a statement Monday evening, saying: "I have instructed the IDF to prepare for Operation 'Blue and White' in Iran. There were external actors who were expected to join the operation to take down the regime, but they were prevented from doing so." The statement does not specify which external actors were involved, nor does it give a timeline for the operation.
Katz first revealed the 'Operation Blue and White' codename (alternately referred to as 'Operation White-Blue' in prior coverage) on June 18, when he said the IDF was instructed to prepare for an offensive with that name immediately after the ceasefire with Iran took effect. As The Zioneer has reported, Katz subsequently reaffirmed that the campaign against Iran is "far from over" and that the IDF is ready to strike inside Iran with great force.
The reference to external actors being "prevented" echoes a plan attributed to former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen for an international coalition to topple the Iranian regime, which Katz referenced in a separate statement earlier Monday. No further details have been provided regarding the operational readiness status or whether any diplomatic or intelligence channels remain active.
The comment comes against a backdrop of heightened Israeli-Iranian tensions following the fragile ceasefire that ended direct hostilities earlier this year. Katz has repeatedly warned that any Iranian aggression will be met with severe retaliation.
2 developments
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- DevelopingIsrael's Katz: Campaign against Iran far from over; IDF ready to strike Iran with great force
- DevelopingKatz warns Hezbollah: fire on the north will draw a strike on Beirut's Dahiyeh
- StrongUS and Iran signal breakthrough on nuclear deal as Israel orders IDF to prepare for independent action
Source and signal
- Internal intake