Israel says ready to attack Iran for 'third time if necessary'

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz on Thursday said his country was prepared to resume its military campaign against Iran if needed, vowing to do so “with even greater force”. The latest remarks came as new fighting erupted between the United States and Iran, raising fears of a return to full-scale war after an April ceasefire and a June US-Iran agreement to end hostilities. “The army is ready and on alert for a resumption of fighting, in order to regain air superiority and strike again… in Iran, to eliminate threats, including a third time if necessary,” Katz said at a military ceremony. “If we have to go back, we will go back, with even greater force,” he added. Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran had been weakened by the two previous military campaigns Israel launched against it. But he also acknowledged that the conflict was not yet over. “The Iranian axis is weaker than ever before, while Israel is stronger than ever before,” he said. “We proved that the long arm of the Israeli Air Force can reach anywhere, from Yemen to Iran. Yet we must also acknowledge that the campaign is not over.” The war began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched an air campaign against Iran that killed the Islamic republic’s supreme leader and other senior officials. It was Israel’s second campaign against Iran, following a 12-day war in June 2025.