Israel weighs resuming campaign against Iran, Tehran says it's ready to retaliate

BEIRUT — Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday evening that Israel could consider resuming its military campaign against Iran, according to Israeli media reports. He made the remarks during a security assessment meeting with senior officials from the army’s intelligence services.

Katz underscored the importance of maintaining Israel’s air superiority, achieved during Operation "Rising Lion," and urged the development of a clear plan to prevent Iran from restoring its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, the Jerusalem Post reported.

On regional security, Katz said two fronts remain active — Gaza and Yemen — and stressed that both must be addressed in line with what he described as Israel’s "successful" offensive strategy against threats from Iran, Lebanon and Syria.

He also highlighted the ongoing deployment of Israeli forces at strategic checkpoints and sensitive locations in Syria and Lebanon, calling the military occupation of those areas "essential for the protection of Israeli communities."

The defense minister concluded by urging the army to prepare for potential security threats in the coming period.

'We are preparing for all scenarios'

In response, Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian said that his country was “fully prepared for any new Israeli military offensive,” in an interview with Al Jazeera.

“Our armed forces are ready to retaliate and strike deep inside Israel,” he said, adding that Tehran does not trust the current cease-fire and is preparing for “all possible scenarios.”

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Pezeshkian accused Israel of trying — and failing — to destabilize and dismantle Iran, saying both sides have inflicted heavy blows, though Israel “conceals its losses.”

The war between Israel and Iran killed at least 1,060 people in Iran, according to authorities. On the Israeli side, the official death toll stands at 28.

The Iranian president was slightly injured during an Israeli bombing that targeted a building in Tehran where the Supreme National Security Council was meeting. The strike came three days after the outbreak of a 12-Day War between the two countries, triggered by an Israeli airstrike on June 13 that targeted military and nuclear facilities as well as senior figures in the Iranian regime.

A cease-fire, brokered under U.S. pressure, has held since June 24 after the U.S. military launched a series of unprecedented airstrikes on several Iranian nuclear sites.