Kohavi: Attack on Iran at Center of Israeli Army Preparations

Israeli army chief Aviv Kohavi. AFP file photo
Israeli army chief Aviv Kohavi. AFP file photo
TT

Kohavi: Attack on Iran at Center of Israeli Army Preparations

Israeli army chief Aviv Kohavi. AFP file photo
Israeli army chief Aviv Kohavi. AFP file photo

Israeli army chief Aviv Kohavi has said it was Israel’s “moral obligation” to prepare a military response against Iran’s nuclear program.

In a speech at a ceremony marking the change of the military’s Home Front Command chief on Sunday, Kohavi said: “Preparing the home front for war is a task that must be accelerated in the coming years, especially in light of the possibility that we will be required to act against the nuclear threat.”

The Times of Israel quoted him as saying that the Israeli army “continues to prepare vigorously for an attack on Iran and must prepare for every development and every scenario.”

Kohavi said “preparing a military option against the Iranian nuclear program is a moral obligation and a national security order.”

He added that such preparation is “at the center” of the Israeli army’s preparations, and includes “a variety of operational plans, the allocation of many resources, the acquisition of appropriate weapons, intelligence and training.”

Last month, dozens of Israeli warplanes conducted air maneuvers over the Mediterranean Sea, simulating striking Iranian nuclear facilities.



Russian Delegation Visits Iran for Meeting with President

FILE PHOTO: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a plenary session in the outreach/BRICS Plus format at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia October 24, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Pool/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a plenary session in the outreach/BRICS Plus format at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia October 24, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Pool/File Photo
TT

Russian Delegation Visits Iran for Meeting with President

FILE PHOTO: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a plenary session in the outreach/BRICS Plus format at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia October 24, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Pool/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a plenary session in the outreach/BRICS Plus format at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia October 24, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Pool/File Photo

A Russian delegation arrived in Tehran for a visit that includes a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Monday, as the two countries prepare to sign a comprehensive cooperation agreement.
Iran and Russia have been working on setting a date to complete an agreement, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday, adding that the deal is set to be signed during a bilateral visit in January.
Russia has cultivated closer ties with Iran and other countries hostile towards the United States, such as North Korea, since the start of the Ukraine war, Reuters said.
The country's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in October that Moscow and Tehran intended to sign a deal which would include closer defense cooperation.
The Russian delegation to Iran is headed by deputy prime ministers Alexei Overchuk and Vitaly Savelev, according to Russia's Interfax news agency.
"The parties are expected to discuss the joint work of Iran and the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) within the framework of a full-fledged agreement on a free trade zone," Interfax said on Monday.
The United States accused Tehran in September of delivering close-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine, and imposed sanctions on ships and companies it said were involved in delivering Iranian weapons. Tehran denies providing Moscow with the missiles.