Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday morning at a pre-Rosh Hashanah toast attended by Defense Ministry Director-General Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram and ministry employees that there are signs on the ground indicating a danger of escalation by Tehran.

“There are signs we are seeing that indicate that the severe economic pressure Iran is under and the fear of an uprising and the collapse of the regime could push them to desperate measures,” Katz said.

Katz made clear that any further Iranian action would remove all restraints on Israel.

“An Iranian attack on Israel will free Israel from every existing restraint on strikes against Iran. We will strike all of Iran’s national military and civilian infrastructure, including its energy infrastructure, and send Iran deep back into the Stone Age and darkness.”

At the same time, the Defense Minister stressed that Israel is well prepared, both defensively and offensively, for any scenario, and that the IDF is fully prepared to carry out the mission.

Reuters reported on Thursday that Iran has warned the US that it would respond forcefully to any major Israeli offensive against the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, where Iranian operatives are trapped alongside Hezbollah terrorists,

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)