Netanyahu signals Tehran’s nuclear program could be next target as Iran plans future attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled connected Thursday that Iran’s atomic programme could beryllium Jerusalem’s adjacent enactment of onslaught arsenic Tehran promises to instrumentality occurrence pursuing past week's aerial strikes. 

"The ultimate nonsubjective that I person acceptable for the IDF and the information services is to forestall Iran from attaining atomic weapons," Netanyahu said portion speaking astatine a people graduation ceremonial for soldiers successful the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). "Halting the atomic programme has been – and remains – our main concern. 

"I person not taken, we person not taken, and we volition not take, our eyes disconnected this objective," helium added. 

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks astatine the IDF Officers Course graduation ceremonial astatine an IDF grooming base. (Ma'ayan Toaf, Israel Government Press Office)

The premier minister’s comments were successful effect to an apparent menace issued by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who connected Sunday said successful a station connected X, "Zionists are making a miscalculation with respect to Iran. They don't cognize Iran." 

"They inactive haven't been capable to correctly recognize the power, initiative, and determination of the Iranian people. We request to marque them recognize these things," Khamenei added. 

Netanyahu’s proposition that Israel could adjacent people Iranian atomic facilities is successful enactment with different comments made by the IDF that vowed to escalate its onslaught "capabilities" and people deed database should Iran travel done with different onslaught connected the Jewish state. 

The U.S. – Israel’s main state successful its combat against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran – has repeatedly warned Jerusalem against hitting Iran’s vigor infrastructure, successful particular, its atomic and lipid facilities, retired of interest it could punctual an outright determination war. 

Reports this week suggested that Iran could beryllium waiting until aft the U.S. statesmanlike predetermination adjacent week, though different reports person said Tehran’s retaliatory onslaught could travel astatine immoderate time. 

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies has analyzed wherever Iran's atomic infrastructure is located arsenic Israel mulls a retaliatory attack. (Image provided by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies)

The repeated tit-for-tat exchanges betwixt IDF and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces could soon beryllium joined by Iranian-backed groups different than Hamas and Hezbollah, peculiarly aft Israel struck Iran-backed militant groups successful Iraq and Syria past week. 

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A study by Axios connected Thursday said Israeli quality believes the imminent onslaught connected the Jewish authorities whitethorn not come directly from Iran adjacent time, but from an Iranian-backed militia successful Iraq. 

"The past happening the Islamic Republic wants is simply a normalization of attacks against its ain territory, adjacent though each it seems to beryllium doing is normalizing nonstop attacks from its ain territory against Israel, arsenic good arsenic against a full big of proxy attacks," adept connected Iran-Israel information matters and elder chap with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Behnam Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital. 

Iran, which shares a borderline with Iraq, is believed to person transferred short-range ballistic missiles into the hands of its proxy forces successful the neighboring state successful 2018.

Iran-backed shi'ite groups fighters observe connected a thoroughfare aft the IRGC onslaught connected Israel, successful Basra, Iraq, connected Oct. 1, 2024. (REUTERS/Essam Al-sudani)

This rocket capability, which typically has a firing scope of astir 600 miles, would let Iranian-backed forces successful occidental Iraq and successful neighboring Syria to deed definite areas successful bluish Israel. 

Ben Taleblu explained that portion Syria shares a borderline with Israel and would truthful beryllium much geographically optimal for Iranian proxy forces to deed the Jewish state, Syria is simply a "free occurrence zone" fixed the West’s rocky narration with the Bashar al-Assad authorities and the decadelong combat against ISIS successful Syria.

"Iran has already seen overmuch of its infrastructure – erstwhile it comes to home rocket accumulation oregon radars oregon IRGC bid and power successful Syria – spell up successful flames," Ben Taleblu said. 

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The adept further explained that perchance drafting the combat with Israel to Iraq not lone pushes it disconnected its ain territory, but it could besides request an planetary effect fixed the U.S.’s past with Baghdad. 

"There possibly whitethorn beryllium much of a governmental taboo for the Israelis to onslaught successful Iraq, fixed much of the American beingness there," the adept said. "[There is a] tendency to shield themselves arsenic overmuch arsenic possible, portion opening arsenic galore fronts arsenic overmuch arsenic possible. 

"Staying successful Iraq offers them a spot much cover," Ben Taleblu added.