IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin on Sunday evening delivered a statement detailing the objectives of the war against Iran and the ongoing military operations in the region.
“Our goal is to strike all components of the regime - together with the US military - in order to remove an existential threat to the State of Israel," Defrin said.
According to the spokesman, Iran and Hezbollah have recently attempted to intensify rocket fire toward Israel in response to growing military pressure.
“In recent days we have seen attempts by Iran and Hezbollah to increase the firing toward Israel. This is a direct response to our military pressure," he said. “Our objective is to damage all of the regime’s systems and capabilities, and we are doing this shoulder to shoulder alongside the US."
Defrin stated that Israeli forces have already struck more than 700 targets connected to Iran’s missile array.
“More than 70 percent of the ballistic missile launchers have been taken out of service, and more than 80 percent of the air defense systems have been struck," he said.
He added that the military campaign is progressing faster than initially planned.
“We are ahead of the original plan in the achievements of the war," Defrin said. “We have an orderly and ongoing plan and we are deepening the damage, striking sites where Iran attempts to conceal its nuclear program. We still have thousands of targets in Iran. The regime is unstable and is hiding this from its own residents."
Defrin emphasized that Israel’s military operations are not aimed directly at overthrowing the Iranian regime.
“Our objective is not to topple the regime, but rather create the conditions that will allow the Iranian people to take their country into their own hands," he said. “We will continue to strike the Basij and the security forces and deepen our attack on them. What the Iranian people choose to do is in their own hands."