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A high-ranking Iranian general said the planned ‘Operation True Promise 3’ would be launched, which can “destroy Israel”. Iran had launched two aerial attacks in April and October last year.
Tensions between Iran and Israel remain high with Donald Trump’s return as US President. (Reuters/Representative Image)
The delicate situation in the Middle East was threatened by an exchange of threats between officials of old adversaries Iran and Israel as the fragile truce in the war-torn Gaza Strip continues.
The latest threat came from a high-ranking general in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Ebrahim Jabbari, who said Iran would launch “Operation True Promise 3″ at the “right time” on a scale “sufficient to destroy Israel”.
The general, who is an adviser to IRGC chief commander Hossein Salami, was speaking to paramilitary forces during ongoing drills named “The Great Exercise of Prophet Mohammad’s Power”, reported Iran International. He said the operation can “raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground”.
This marked the third such threat from Iran. Brigadier General Ali Fadavi, deputy IRGC commander and General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of IRGC’s Aerospace Force also threatened to destroy Israel via ‘Operation True Promise 3’.
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‘We Are Ready’: Israel Responds To Iran’s Threats
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on X that the threat was taken seriously and Israel was prepared to defend itself. “If the Jewish people have learned anything from history, it is this: if your enemy says his goal is to annihilate you—believe him,” he said.
“We are ready,” he added, in response to Jabbari’s remarks. Such threats by Iran have grown as it grows increasingly insecure after Donald Trump took office in the United States.
If the Jewish people have learned anything from history, it is this:if your enemy says his goal is to annihilate you – believe him.We are ready. Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) February 21, 2025
Operation True Promise 3 is the name given to Iran’s planned third attack against Israel, following the first and second missile attacks in April and October 2024. However, Israeli air defences, along with intervention from the US and other allies, intercepted most of the projectiles and prevented significant damage.
Iran faced significant setbacks in the region last year as Israeli military operations severely weakened Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, combined with the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. To rub salt in their wounds, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated by an explosive device planted in his guesthouse in Tehran.
These threats have been linked to an increase in missile production over the last month. Iran received a 1,000-ton shipment of rocket fuel precursor chemicals from China last week, while the IRGC revealed a new underground “missile city” earlier, reported The Jerusalem Post.
This was further bolstered by Hajizadeh’s comments on Tuesday, where he lauded Iran’s ability to strike Israel in “the world’s largest ballistic missile operation.” Meanwhile, Jabbari praised Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israel attack in October.
