Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz stated on Saturday that Iran’s message regarding launching a “war of annihilation” if Israel conducts a large-scale military action in Lebanon makes it deserving of destruction. Katz posted on the platform X, “A regime that threatens destruction deserves destruction.”
He also vowed that Israel would use all its might against the Iran-aligned Hezbollah group if it does not cease firing at Israel from Lebanon and withdraw from the border.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations said on Friday that if Israel undertakes a “full-scale military aggression” in Lebanon, a “war of annihilation will erupt.” The mission also posted on X that in such a case, “all options, including the full participation of all resistance fronts, are on the table.”
Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire since October, concurrent with the Gaza war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said last week that they prefer a diplomatic route to resolve the crisis. Although Katz is a member of Israel’s security cabinet, the war policy is largely led by Netanyahu and a small circle of ministers, including Gallant, who visited Washington last week for talks regarding the situation in Gaza and Lebanon
