Chief of Staff of the Israeli army Aviv Kohavi and the newly-appointed Air Force Commander, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, addressed Iran on Tuesday and cited operations carried out by their forces in the past and their readiness for the future.
At a ceremony Monday, Bar took over his new post, replacing Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin, who has served in the position for five years.
During the event, Kohavi said the process of preparing for operations against Iran is currently moving at a rapid pace.
The Israeli Air Force has improved in recent years, but we still have to adapt to the future, Kohavi added.
He referred to the strikes targeting Iranian positions, arms and militias in Syria and other places in the Middle East region.
“We have enhanced our capabilities to launch airstrikes on our enemy,” he stressed, saying the army will continue to do so, while the air force will continue to play a key role in these wars.
He pointed out that the series of attacks have played an important role in preventing Iranian military deployment in Syria to threaten Israel and its citizens.
Kohavi and Bar affirmed that their forces are conducting an average of one military drill per week to ensure preparedness.
On Tuesday, the army conducted a new military exercise in the Red Sea city of Eilat, during which its forces used military vehicles and warplanes.
The military said this drill was planned as part of the 2022 exercises to determine the army’s readiness.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office announced that he discussed on Tuesday with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi various issues, mainly the Iranian nuclear deal.
It revealed that the coalition deal stipulates that the nuclear file remain within his authority even after handing over his post next year.
In mid-June 2021, Israel’s parliament approved a new coalition government, ending the historic 12-year rule of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sending the polarizing leader into the opposition.
Under the coalition deal, centrist Yair Lapid will replace Bennett as prime minister in August 2023.
