Netanyahu threatens Iran’s nuclear program amid large-scale IDF exercise
"We are committed to acting against the Iranian nuclear program, against missile attacks on Israel and against the possibility of a multi-front campaign," Netanyahu said.
Israel’s security cabinet convened on Sunday at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv to simulate a decision-making process during a multi-front war on the country’s borders.
The cabinet met as the IDF launched a two-week-long military exercise dubbed “Firm Hand”, which simulates intense multi-arena combat in the aerial, maritime, ground, spectrum and cyber arenas.
The large-scale exercise will test the IDF’s readiness for an intense, prolonged campaign in a multitude of arenas as well as revise operative plans in civilian areas to save lives during war time.
“As part of the exercise, the Israeli Air Force will practice combat in a multi-arena configuration that includes extensive strategic strikes. The Israeli Navy will conduct combat training that includes strike and defence missions,” the IDF said in a statement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday during the simulated cabinet meeting that the the reality in the Middle East is changing “rapidly.”
“We are not stagnating. We are adapting our combat doctrine and our possibilities for action in keeping with these changes and our goals, which are not changing,” he said.
The large-scale military exercise is mainly seen as preparation for a war against Iran and Hezbollah at the same time, especially in light of Tehran’s development of its nuclear program and Israel’s continued thinly veiled threats to attack it.
Israel experienced a smaller but unusual multi-front conflict in April after Hamas fired rockets from both Gaza and Lebanon in response to Israeli police officers beating Palestinians inside the Al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem.
Security experts have long warned that Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and Iran are trying to ignite a multi-front conflict with Israel, as it would be much harder for the IDF to defend against several threats at the same time.
“We are committed to acting against the Iranian nuclear program, against missile attacks on the State of Israel and against the possibility of the fronts becoming linked, what we call a multi-front campaign,” Netanyahu said.
“This requires us to evaluate, if it is possible to do so in advance, many of the main decisions that the Security Cabinet and the Government would need to make together with the security establishment, the IDF and other security elements. This is the goal of the exercise. We are certain that we can deal with every threat by ourselves, and also by other means,” the prime minister added.
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