From the Liveblog of
Sunday, April 7, 2024
Halevi: IDF is fully prepared to deal with Iran ‘in attack and defense’
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
On threats by Iran to respond to the alleged assassination by Israel of the top IRGC officer in Syria, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says the IDF is fully prepared.
He says Israel is “in a multi-front war.”
“There is no reason to panic, but there is also no room for complacency. We must be aware of the situation, and always ready,” Halevi says.
“IDF troops are prepared and operating in all arenas, in the south, in the north, in Judea and Samaria and in more distant arenas. The IDF also knows how to deal with Iran, in attack and defense,” he warns.
“We prepared for this, we have good defense systems, we know how to act powerfully against Iran in places near and far. We work in cooperation with the US and strategic partners in the region,” Halevi continues.
He says that since the beginning of the war in Gaza, “Iran has tried to disavow and hide from direct involvement in it, but we know that it activates, directs, finances and transfers knowledge to all its proxies in the region, from Hezbollah, through Judea and Samaria to Yemen.”
“Iran does not only threaten Israel, but the entire Western and Arab world, Iran is a global problem, was and remains, the big problem,” he adds.
