Katz: "If Trump Had Woken Up Later, the Strike Would’ve Been Even Stronger”
In a closed session at the Kirya military headquarters, Defense Minister Israel Katz briefed the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Israel’s preemptive strikes during the 12-day war with Iran, revealing that Iran planned a massive missile attack. Katz outlined a comprehensive plan to enforce Iran’s nuclear disarmament, addressed Gaza operations, and confirmed Israel’s commitment to the ceasefire in discussions with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Defense Minister Israel Katz briefed the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, chaired by MK Yuli Edelstein, at the Kirya military headquarters, detailing Israel’s pre-emptive actions during the 12-day “Am K’Lavie” war against Iran, which ended with a ceasefire on June 24. Katz revealed that Iran had planned a surprise attack, stating, “The Iranians planned to strike first and launch between 400 to 500 missiles in the opening strike. If we hadn’t acted first, it would have been much harder for us.” He emphasized Israel’s air superiority, noting, “Our biggest challenge was opening the skies and neutralizing Iran’s air defense systems. We controlled the skies and were able to continue.”
Katz highlighted targeting priorities, saying, “During the war, we made a distinction and targeted more members of the Revolutionary Guards than the Iranian military. When we wanted to eliminate Khamenei, he hid.” He claimed complete success, stating, “We met 100% of the operational objectives in Iran, and the Americans helped a lot in the end,” jokingly adding, “If Trump had woken up after a quarter of an hour, the strike this morning would have been even stronger.” On Iran’s nuclear program, Katz asserted, “Iran no longer has the ability to produce nuclear weapons. I instructed the IDF to prepare an enforcement plan in cooperation with the Americans, based on the Lebanese model, but much more comprehensive, to enforce any attempt to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.”
Addressing concerns about Gaza, where committee members criticized static IDF positions and aid supplies to Hamas-controlled areas, Katz defended operations, saying, “The military advocate is not harming the fighting. These are just false reports.” He noted Prime Minister Netanyahu’s upcoming U.S. trip to shape a nuclear deal, warning, “Right now, this is just a ceasefire. We must remember that Trump canceled the central sanction on Iran selling oil to the Chinese, and as a result, Iran could become stronger again.”
Katz also posted on X about his call with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: “I spoke moments ago with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. I thanked him for President Donald Trump’s bold decision to act with Israel against the Iranian nuclear threat. The Secretary praised Israel and the IDF for the historic achievements made. I emphasized that Israel will respect the ceasefire, as long as the other side does. We agreed to deepen the close U.S.-Israel security cooperation.” The briefing underscored Israel’s resolve to maintain pressure on Iran post-war, leveraging U.S. support to prevent nuclear resurgence.