Israel must prepare for a "prolonged campaign" against Iran to "eliminate a threat of this magnitude," according to the Israel Defense Force commander in chief.
In a video statement, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Iran has been "building for years a clear plan to destroy the State of Israel" and that "the plan reached the point of no return, where the capabilities reached operational capability," The Times of Israel reported.
"We are preparing for a range of possible developments. We have embarked on the most complex campaign in our history," Zamir said Friday. "We launched this campaign in order to eliminate a threat of this magnitude, against such an enemy, which requires readiness for a prolonged campaign."
Israel began launching missiles to take out Iranian military sites and leaders, uranium enrichment facilities, and scientists late last week. Since then, the two sides have exchanged air strikes.
"When we launched this campaign, Iran possessed approximately 2,500 surface-to-surface missiles and was producing them at a rapid pace. According to estimates, within two years, it would have had around 8,000 missiles," Zamir said, The Jerusalem Post reported.
"The combination of threats — from the nuclear program to advanced firepower to missile systems — forced us to launch a preemptive strike."
Zamier said Israel was forced to launch its attack when it did due to some "temporary" operational and strategic conditions.
"Had we delayed, there was a risk of losing these conditions and entering the campaign in the future from a position of clear disadvantage," he said, the Times reported. "We understood that history would not forgive us if we failed to act now to defend the existence of the Jewish people in the State of Israel."
Zamir said Iranian air strikes will not lessen Israel’s resolve.
"Our enemies fail to understand that the Israeli home front is the source of the IDF's strength, not its weakness," he said, the Post reported. "This week, I visited several impact sites and saw the devastation with my own eyes. My heart goes out to the families of the casualties and the injured."
Zamir added the IDF now faces "multi-front" conflicts, including fighting the Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
"The operations in Gaza continue, and unfortunately, we are paying a heavy price in the lives of our troops, as we did this week," Zamir said.
"I have not forgotten for a moment that there are 53 hostages still held by Hamas. Bringing them home is a moral and national imperative, and the IDF is working tirelessly to achieve it. The operations we are conducting in Iran these days are also contributing to that goal."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.