Israel needed to strike Iran as the Islamic Republic had reached a tipping point in its nuclear weapons development, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Friday.
“We are at a critical juncture; if we miss it, we will have no way to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons that threaten our existence,” he said.
The defense minister echoed comments made by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who addressed the nation on Friday, saying, “We have begun this operation because the time has come. We are at the point of no return. We cannot afford to wait for another time to operate.”
In the early hours of Friday morning, Israel launched airstrikes against senior Iranian military and nuclear personnel and infrastructure.
“Iran is more determined than ever to realize its vision of destroying Israel,” Katz said, adding that when he became defense minister on Nov. 5, 2024, he made Iran’s nuclear program a “top priority.”
“We have dealt with Iran’s agents over the past year and a half,” he said, referring to Israel’s efforts against Iranian proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. “But now we are dealing with the head of the snake itself.”
The Israel Defense Forces revealed for the first time on Friday that the Iranian regime had advanced “a secret plan for the technological advancement of all parts of the development of a nuclear weapon.
“In recent months, this program has accelerated significantly, bringing the regime significantly closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon,” the IDF stated.
Iran has striven for decades to obtain nuclear weapons, the IDF noted, and although the world has made efforts to stop it through diplomacy, the regime has refused to stop.
“The State of Israel has been left with no choice. The IDF has the obligation to act in defense of the civilians of Israel and will continue to do so,” Israel’s military said.
