Sounding a confident note this week, Israeli defense officials vowed to deal swiftly and decisively with any new Iranian threat to the Jewish state.
Following reports that Iran had shipped long-range missiles to its proxies in Iraq, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman told reporters:
"As for the threat from Iran, we are not limiting ourselves to Syria. That should be clear. …we will handle any Iranian threat, no matter where it comes from. We are maintaining the right to act… and any threat or anything else that comes up is dealt with."
By placing its missiles in western Iraq, Iran has now put Tel Aviv easily within range. Most Israelis saw Liberman's remarks as a threat to launch air strikes against those Iranian missiles, even though doing so means violating Iraqi airspace.
Addressing Iran's other major proxy threat, a top Israeli general on Monday warned that the next time Lebanon's Hezbollah terrorist militia starts a war with the Jewish state will be its last.
"[Hezbollah] will feel the force of our arm. I hope there won’t be another war, but if there is, it won’t be another Second Lebanon War, but the final northern war," said Maj.-Gen. Yoel Strick, head of the IDF's Northern Command.
"Citizens of the State of Israel can remain calm and put their trust in the security establishment, which knows how to act determinedly, accurately, and even to use the most aggressive force possible," Strick added.
