Israel threatened Thursday to plunge Iran into darkness and hammer the country’s critical infrastructure if Tehran launches another attack against the Jewish state.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would no longer consider itself bound by existing restraints if Iran chooses to strike, opening the door to a devastating response against military, civilian and energy targets.
“An Iranian attack on Israel would free Israel from any existing limitations on attacking Iran,” Katz said, according to Reuters.
“We will cripple all of Iran’s national military and civilian infrastructure — including energy infrastructure — and return Iran deep into the Stone Age and darkness,” he added.
Katz delivered the blunt warning while speaking to Defense Ministry employees as the latest showdown involving Iran threatens to ignite another major regional escalation.
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The defense chief said Israel is prepared to confront an Iranian attack on both fronts, with defensive systems on alert and the Israel Defense Forces ready to go on offense.
He also pointed to growing financial turmoil inside Iran and the regime’s fear of a domestic revolt. Those pressures, Katz warned, could drive Tehran toward “desperate measures,” according to the Times of Israel.
His comments came after the United States and Iran traded their most intense round of attacks since July.
American forces struck targets along Iran’s southern coast this week. Tehran answered by firing at U.S. military installations across the Middle East, further raising fears that the conflict could widen.
The latest violence has placed Israel on heightened alert as Iranian leaders weigh their next move and Washington braces for possible retaliation against American forces and allies throughout the region.
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