Israel Threatens to Strike Iran Again

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has threatened to attack Iran again as the country and the United States resumed exchanging strikes in recent days. Katz said Israel was ready to resume military operations against Tehran if necessary.

He also affirmed that Israel would do so “with far greater force”, as reported by AFP on Friday (10 July 2026).

Katz’s latest statement came as fighting broke out once more between the US and Iran, fuelling fears of a return to full-scale war following a ceasefire in place since April and an initial Washington-Tehran agreement to end hostilities.

“The military is ready and on alert to resume the fighting, to regain air superiority and to launch another strike… in Iran, to eliminate the threat, including for a third time if necessary,” Katz declared in a speech at a military ceremony on Thursday (9 July).

“If we have to act again, we will do so with far greater force,” he said.

At the same military ceremony, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran had been weakened by the two military operations Israel had previously launched against the country.

Netanyahu, however, also acknowledged that the conflict was not yet over.

“The Iranian axis is now weaker than before, while Israel is stronger than before,” the Israeli prime minister claimed.

“We have demonstrated that the Israeli Air Force’s long reach can reach anywhere, from Yemen to Iran. But we must also acknowledge that this operation is not yet finished,” Netanyahu said.

The latest war began on 28 February, when the US and Israel launched massive air strikes against Iran, killing its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with several other senior Tehran officials.

The attack was Israel’s second military operation against Iran, following a 12-day war in June 2025.