Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz has ordered the IDF to escalate its military campaign against Iranian regime targets in Tehran, aiming to destabilize the government and deter further missile attacks on Israeli cities.

Following a high-level assessment Friday morning with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and other senior military officials, Katz directed the IDF to focus on symbolic regime assets, including the Basij paramilitary force and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as Iran’s internal repression apparatus. The goal, he said, is to “bring about the destabilization of the regime and increase deterrence against missile attacks on Israel’s home front,” while continuing to degrade Iran’s nuclear program.

Unconfirmed reports from Iran International, citing Israeli security sources, indicate that a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on the Fordow nuclear facility—Iran’s most fortified and sensitive enrichment sites—could be imminent, possibly as early as Friday night. The Fordow site, buried 300 feet underground near Qom, is a linchpin of Iran’s nuclear program. Initial Israeli airstrikes reportedly caused little damage to the facility, and military analysts believe a bunker-busting weapon would be required to neutralize it.

Signs of U.S. military readiness have added to speculation of impending action, despite reports that President Trump is wavering in his decision. In recent days, three KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tankers departed from Travis Air Force Base in California, and four more launched from Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma—aircraft essential for extending the range of U.S. B-2 Spirit stealth bombers – the only aircraft capable of deploying the 30,000-pound GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), specifically designed for deeply buried targets like Fordow.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)