Israeli far right minister declares ‘historic obligation’ to remove Iran threat

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir welcomed Saturday's strikes against military targets in Iran, but said a "historic obligation" remained to remove the threat posed by Tehran.

"The attack on Iran is important as an opening blow to damage Iran's strategic assets," Ben Gvir wrote on X, adding: "We have a historic obligation to remove the Iranian threat to destroy Israel".

Former war cabinet minister Benny Gantz also hailed the strikes.

"It marks a new stage in our war against the Iranian regime, inflicting significant damage in response to their failed attempts to harm Israel while also importantly paving the way for future operations," Gantz said in a statement.

He said the strikes on Iran are "nothing more than a fraction of the harm Israel can inflict on the regime, should it choose to continue its aggression".

Gantz quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government in June over its lack of a post-war plan for Gaza, where the Israeli military has been locked in a campaign against Hamas militants since their October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.