🛡️ Israel Signals Readiness While Remaining Outside the Current Fighting: Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel's campaign against Iran is "not over" and that the IDF remains prepared to resume operations if required. Speaking at an Israeli Air Force pilots' graduation ceremony, he said Israel is capable of regaining air superiority and conducting independent "blue-and-white" strikes inside Iran, even "for a third time," adding, "If we need to return, we will return with even greater force."
Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir similarly stated that the campaign is not over and that new operational plans are already being prepared. He said the IDF is closely monitoring developments in Iran and Lebanon, remains ready to respond immediately to emerging threats, and has kept hundreds of Israeli Air Force aircraft on standby in recent weeks.
Israeli officials nevertheless assess that Iran currently has no interest in opening a direct conflict with Israel. Two Israeli sources told i24NEWS that Israel would likely enter the current fighting only if Iran directly attacks Israel or if the United States requests Israeli participation. They said neither condition has occurred.
🎯 United States Expands Military Operations Against Iran: U.S. Central Command announced that American forces struck more than 170 Iranian military targets over the past two days, including air defense systems, missile and drone storage facilities, military speed boats, and logistics infrastructure near the Strait of Hormuz.
The New York Times reported that this represents roughly fourteen times the number of targets struck during the previous two-day U.S. retaliatory operation in late June.
Iranian state media reported a U.S. missile strike near the Bushehr nuclear power station, while Fars News Agency said a railway bridge supporting trade routes with China and Russia was also hit.
Axios reported that the White House is preparing for the possibility of a multi-day or multi-week confrontation centered on the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. officials said the duration will depend on Iran's actions, particularly whether attacks on commercial shipping continue. They added that Washington remained prepared to negotiate but would not accept an agreement that failed to meet its demands, with one official describing the campaign's duration as potentially ranging from "a day or two, a week or a month."
⚠️ Iran Issues Regional Warnings and Expands Military Activity: The IRGC Navy warned that continued U.S. military operations would hinder the Strait of Hormuz's gradual reopening and threatened a decisive response to further American interference. The IRGC also warned that renewed U.S. strikes would place additional American bases across the region under attack.
Iranian military officials claimed drone attacks targeted Patriot air defense systems in Kuwait, an early warning site in Qatar, and U.S. fuel storage facilities in Bahrain.
Iran also launched missiles toward Jordan, where air defenses intercepted incoming threats over Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and operations at Amman International Airport were temporarily suspended. Additional attacks targeted Iraq, triggering sirens at U.S. bases in Baghdad and Erbil. The reported strike on Qatar marked the first reported Iranian attack there in more than three months.
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