IDF chief says military ready to act ‘against any enemy’ that poses threat

Amid the ongoing tensions with Iran, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir tells Israeli Air Force pilots and air personnel that the military “will know how to strike powerfully in any arena against any enemy that threatens the security of the State of Israel.”

The IDF says Zamir visited the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, home to the IAF’s F-35I stealth fighters. This week, three new F-35s joined the IAF’s arsenal, bringing its total to 48.

“The air force constitutes the IDF’s strategic arm. You are at the forefront of the offensive and defensive effort in both near and distant arenas over the past two years of fighting,” Zamir says, according to remarks provided by the military.

Zamir tells the pilots that during the 12-day war with Iran in June, “you accumulated operational experience unparalleled anywhere in the world, and we will know how to draw lessons from it and use it to ensure the security of the State of Israel at all times.”

“We are prepared for various scenarios and continuously improve our capabilities in order to achieve victory in the overall campaign against our enemies. This is our responsibility and our mission,” he says.