Military chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi warned Tuesday of potential “negative developments” regarding Iran’s nuclear program that would cause Israel to react.
“Iran has made more progress in uranium enrichment than ever before. We are also closely examining other aspects of the [Iranians’] path to nuclear capability,” the IDF chief of staff said at a conference hosted by the Institute for Policy and Strategy of Reichman University in Herzliya.
“Without going into details, there are possible negative developments on the horizon that could prompt action,” Halevi said.
“We have abilities and others have abilities. We have the ability to hit Iran. We are not indifferent to what Iran is trying to build around us, and it is difficult for Iran to be indifferent to the line we are taking,” he added.
Halevi said Israel’s capabilities against Iran, “are good… we need to strengthen them more so that we can carry out a broad campaign against Iran.”
The military chief said that a potential war against Iran would not be conducted in the same way as a battle in a single arena. “Given a game against five players, the strength of our power will be greater.”
Speaking before the IDF chief at the same conference, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said Israel was not surprised by Monday’s reports on a new underground Iranian nuclear facility that is likely impervious to US bunker-buster bombs.
Hanegbi acknowledged that “of course it limits the ability to attack,” but added that “there is no place that can’t be reached.”
He declined to clarify whether Israel could successfully strike such a site, or if only the US has such capabilities. Hanegbi stressed that Israel prefers that Iran’s nuclear program be reined in by an agreement rather than a military response — but that Jerusalem would take action if needed.
Hanegbi said: “If we believe there is no avoiding military action against the nuclear facilities in Iran… I think that any Israeli leader will have full backing from Israel’s citizenry and the state to do what Menachem Begin did in 1981, what Olmert did in 2007. To act when all the other options aren’t effective anymore.”
He said that “red line” would be a determination Iran is “coming close to the moment of no return.” Hanegbi added that Israel and America agree on the red line, but have different approaches on how to keep Iran from getting there.
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