IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir spoke Saturday night about the latest developments in the war against Iran, stressing that the damage to the Iranian regime continues to accumulate and has become very significant.
"The extensive degradation we have inflicted on the Iranian terror regime over the past three weeks is beginning to accumulate into a systemic-strategic achievement: military, economic, and governmental," he said. "The regime of evil is weaker, Iran is more exposed and lacks significant aerial defense capabilities."
Thanking the US, he added, "I would like to once again thank our partners in the United States Armed Forces. I am in close and daily contact with them as part of the operational tempo. The trust between us is high; we share a common target bank, and our military plans are synchronized and coordinated. The strategic partnership with our ally is an unprecedented source of strength in this operation. There is a shared interest - a commitment to removing an existential threat from Israel, from the United States, and from the entire region."
Zamir noted that "Iran launched a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 4,000 kilometers toward an American target on Diego Garcia Island. These missiles are not intended to strike Israel. Their range reaches European capitals - Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range."
"We have learned from world and Jewish history that denying a threat or appeasing it does not eliminate it-on the contrary, it projects weakness and encourages extremist regimes. Those who do not confront a threat at its outset will, in time, become hostage to it. The possession of lethal strategic capabilities by radical, dictatorial regimes poses a danger not only to Israel, but to the world. The United States, through its leadership and its powerful military, defends the entire free world."
Regarding the war against the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon, Zamir said, "Today, I approved the Northern Command’s plans for the continuation of the forward defensive posture."
"There is no more containment. There is initiative. There is preemptive action. Our troops will stand as a barrier between the enemy and the civilian communities, and any target that poses a threat to them will be removed.
"We are midway through, but the direction is clear. In about a week, during Passover, the holiday of freedom, we will continue to fight for our freedom and our future."