Gantz: We won’t let Iran move ‘game-changing’ arms to proxies

Defense Minister Benny Gantz warns Iran that Israel will not allow it to spread “game-changing” weaponry to its proxies in the region, hours after the Israeli military reportedly struck arms thought to have been shipped from Iran in Syria’s Latakia port.

“I call on all countries of the region to stop Iran’s harm to their sovereignty and to their citizens. Israel will not allow Iran to stream game-changing weapons to its proxies and to threaten our citizens,” he says.

Israel has not officially acknowledged conducting the strike earlier this morning. Syria says the attack was carried out by Israeli warplanes over the Mediterranean. The bombardment caused massive secondary explosions at the port, apparently as the Israeli missiles detonated munitions.

Gantz makes his comments during a visit to the Ramat David Air Base, which is home to a number of F-16 fighter jet squadrons. He says the air force and other armed branches are “completing a year of significant operational activity.”

“This year as well we have acted against threats on various fronts, all of them fueled by Iran, which is the greatest enemy of my nation and to the residents of the Middle East,” Gantz says.

The defense minister calls on Syria to stop Iran from operating within its borders, saying the IDF would continue to act as needed to thwart Tehran’s activities.