Defense Secretary Israel Katz issued a New Year's greeting to the Jewish community in Iran alongside a stark warning to the regime, stating that economic pressure may drive Tehran to attack Israel but that the Israeli response would be 'overwhelming' and set Iran back decades, according to JewishBreakingNews.com.
Defense Secretary Israel Katz on Thursday afternoon issued a New Year's greeting directed at the Jewish community in Iran, alongside a stark warning to the regime, in a statement reported by JewishBreakingNews.com. Katz opened with 'Shana Tova' to Iranian Jews, expressed a wish for freedom for the Iranian people, and then warned that ongoing economic pressure on Tehran may drive it to launch an attack on Israel. Should that occur, he said, Israel's response would be 'overwhelming, devastating, and unlike anything Iran has ever seen before,' and could set Iranian military capabilities back decades.
The statement follows a series of threats Katz issued earlier on Thursday. At 12:36 Jerusalem, as reported by The Zioneer, Katz warned that any attack on Israel would be met with strikes on Iran's main energy facilities, saying such a blow would set the country back decades. The earlier threat was first reported by The Zioneer; the new statement, which adds the New Year's greeting and a more explicit warning of overwhelming retaliation, was carried by JewishBreakingNews.com.
Katz has repeatedly escalated his rhetoric toward Iran in recent months. In a Sep. 3 briefing to Defense Ministry staff, Katz warned that an Iranian attack would bring 'Stone Age' devastation to all Iranian infrastructure, as The Zioneer reported at the time. He has also stated that the IDF is prepared to 'strike with great force inside Iran' and that the campaign against Iran is far from over, as The Zioneer reported on June 10. The current threats come amid reported U.S. strikes on Iranian targets and a broader campaign of economic pressure against the regime.
It remains unclear whether Iran will respond to economic pressure with a direct attack, as Katz assessed is possible. The new statement, while adding a personal greeting to Iranian Jews, does not alter Israel's stated military posture but underscores the dual messaging of goodwill toward the populace and confrontation with the regime.
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