IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi was quoted by Israeli media as saying on Wednesday that Israel is “ready” to attack Iran and is capable of doing so even without assistance from the United States.
“We’re prepared to take action against Iran. According to Halevi, the IDF’s army radio, the Israeli army is capable of striking both abroad and close to home.
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He asserted that despite the distance, the IDF will improve its capacity for a preemptive strike on Iran in the coming years, and that such a strike would be “overpowering.”
“We are capable of acting alone. We are a sovereign country that has the authority to own judgments. The United States being on our side would be beneficial, but it is not required, he continued.
These remarks coincide with escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran, with Iran accusing Israel of murdering two of its soldiers in Syria last week and threatening retaliation.
Iran dismisses Israel’s accusations that it is working on developing nuclear weapons. Israel has already threatened to use military force if diplomatic efforts to stop Iran’s nuclear development fall short.
Israel and the US have recently engaged in a rare public spat over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempt to weaken the judiciary, which has resulted in protracted demonstrations in Israel.
Netanyahu answered that he would not bow to foreign pressure but took a more conciliatory tone when he participated in a democracy summit called by Biden.
Following that exchange, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen and “reaffirmed the importance of the enduring US-Israel bilateral relationship,” according to State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.
