Israel’s defense minister said he would pursue a “policy of enforcement” against Iran despite a cease-fire, aiming to prevent Tehran from rebuilding its air power, advancing nuclear projects or developing “threatening long-range missiles.”
The comments by Defense Minister Israel Katz to local news channels on Thursday evening suggested that Israel was contemplating more strikes on Iran even after President Trump announced a truce between the two countries on Tuesday.
Iran’s foreign minister warned on Thursday night that his country would respond to anything it considered a breach of the cease-fire.
Mr. Katz, speaking to Israel’s Channel 12, said the Israeli military was still finalizing what he called an “enforcement policy” with Iran.
“We have the determination to implement it: preserving aerial superiority, preventing the advancement of nuclear projects and preventing the advancement of threatening long-range missiles,” he said.
Such a wide-ranging Israeli interpretation of threats from Iran could imperil the truce, which ended a 12-day war that the United States briefly joined when its war planes bombed three Iranian nuclear sites.
The war did significant damage to Iranian nuclear sites and air defenses, and Iran may seek to rebuild its strategic infrastructure.
Mr. Katz’s comments may have been directed at his local audience, particularly the hawkish government’s base of supporters. But the remarks could also lay the groundwork for a confrontation with Washington.
It is unclear whether Mr. Trump would push back against the policy that Mr. Katz outlined. Israel may also choose to wait and see the results of any future diplomacy between Tehran and Washington.
Mr. Trump was outraged when the cease-fire got off to a shaky start, and both sides appeared to violate the truce with rocket fire in the early hours.
He directed his strongest criticisms at Israel, even at one point posting messages on social media when he was concerned it might strike Iran again. He warned it would be a “MAJOR VIOLATION” if Israel were to bomb Iran and demanded that the country “BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”
Mr. Katz told Channel 12 that Israel does not need U.S. approval to attack Iran in the future.
“We are saying unequivocally, once the Iranians violate, we will strike.”
He said Israel’s policy would be similar to what it has done in the aftermath of its war against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. The United States brokered a truce to end that war as well after Israel killed most of the group’s leadership.
Since then, Israel has bombed targets in Lebanon frequently, even though Hezbollah has refrained from attacks on Israeli territory.
Israel has justified some of those strikes by saying that they were aimed at preventing Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm. Mr. Katz told another network, Channel 13, that Israel’s policy on Iran would be “like in Lebanon — just times 100.”
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Aragchi, warned that “Iran is not Lebanon,” in an interview with state television on Friday.
“We do not accept any cease-fire or halt in operations that implies an agreed-upon arrangement,” he said, adding that he had “serious doubts” about Israel’s commitment to the deal.
He pointed to Israel’s frequent airstrikes in Lebanon and Mr. Netanyahu’s decision to break a cease-fire with Hamas in March to restart military operations in the Gaza war.
“They declare a truce, but assume that the other side is weak, then proceed to violate it themselves and attempt to prevent any response,” he said.
Iran still has ballistic missiles and launchers, despite the damage it has sustained from Israeli and U.S. strikes. It could still inflict blows that Israel would likely need to take into account should it choose to strike again.
Mr. Araghchi vowed that Iran would “decisively respond to any breach by the Zionist regime.”
Euan Ward contributed reporting from Beirut, Lebanon
The post Israel’s Defense Minister Vows ‘Policy of Enforcement’ Against Iran appeared first on New York Times.
