New Israeli Defense Minister: Our Strategy is to Prevent Iran from Achieving Nuclear Capability

The new Israeli Defense Minister, in his first interview after being appointed, emphasized that his country wants to eliminate Iran's nuclear program. Yisrael Katz stated in an interview with Israel's Channel 14 on Thursday, December 1, that Iran's nuclear threat is 'one of the central security issues' and 'our strategy against it is clear: to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear capability.' According to Katz, a consensus has formed within Israel's security establishment regarding the necessity to confront Iran's nuclear program, and given the blows that Israel has dealt to the defensive capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the country is currently in a better position to eliminate Tehran's military-nuclear program. The Israeli Defense Minister added: 'Iran has never progressed this far in its nuclear program, but the conditions for Israel to strike Iran's nuclear program are much more favorable than before.' Netanyahu: We destroyed part of Iran's nuclear program and its S-300 defenses. Hours before Katz's interview, many Israeli media outlets also reported statements attributed to 'a senior security official' in their country indicating 'support' for Benjamin Netanyahu if he makes a final decision to attack Iran's nuclear sites to take advantage of 'a golden opportunity.' This unnamed 'senior security official' added that conditions have never been as favorable as they are now for a potential attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, and such an attack is both a 'necessity' and more feasible now after Iran's 'air defense' has been weakened. This Israeli official stated that unlike 15 years ago when some security and defense officials opposed Netanyahu's then-proposal to attack Iran's nuclear program, military and security officials and 'the entire security and defense establishment' have now reached a 'consensus' on attacking Iran's nuclear facilities. The similarity between the statements attributed to the 'senior security official' and Yisrael Katz's remarks in his interview with the Netanyahu-supporting television network raises the suspicion that this Israeli official was, in fact, the Defense Minister himself, who initially expressed his views on the necessity of attacking Iran's nuclear sites to reporters from the country's media. The IAEA Board of Governors issued a reprimanding resolution against Iran; Tehran says it will install new centrifuges. On Thursday, December 1, the IAEA Board of Governors condemned Iran's expansion of nuclear activities and its increase in enrichment, which has reached 32 times the permissible limit under the previous nuclear agreement. Benjamin Netanyahu this week, in a speech at the Knesset, explained the strikes that his country's air operations inflicted on Iran on the fifth of Aban this year, targeting 'a specific part' of Iran's nuclear program and damaging Iran's air defense and missile capabilities. Israel's operations were a response to Iran's attacks on Israel on April 14 and October 2, 1403. Iranian officials have repeatedly emphasized in recent days that not only will they respond to Israel's operation on the fifth of Aban, but they will also react to any subsequent Israeli actions against Iran's nuclear facilities at 'the same level.' Most recently, the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reiterated on Friday, December 2, at a public ceremony in Khuzestan that 'Rest assured, we will take our revenge on Israel.'