EASTORA REPORT | Israel’s defense minister says the confrontation with Iran is unfinished. After two rounds of Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities since 2025, Israel Katz is again warning that his country may need to strike before a threat materializes.
“Regarding Iran, the mission is not yet complete,” Katz said on Sunday, November 8, at a memorial in Jerusalem for Israeli soldiers killed in the 1956 Sinai campaign. He accused Tehran of renewing efforts to obtain nuclear weapons and pursuing other activities he said endangered Israel. “We cannot accept these threats,” he declared.
Katz said Israel was more determined than ever to take preemptive action and maintain a proactive, offensive policy against its enemies. He also insisted the military must be ready for any scenario. His remarks signaled a willingness to use force again, but he announced no new operation or timetable.
Iran denies seeking a nuclear bomb. And the evidence available publicly does not settle Katz’s accusation. Earlier this month, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said the agency had identified no activity to repair or rebuild nuclear facilities damaged in the 2025 and 2026 attacks. It still cannot verify the status of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium because inspectors lack access to key sites.
The warning reached beyond Iran. Katz said Hezbollah would face a severe military response and lose more Lebanese territory if it joined an Iranian attack on Israel. That was a conditional threat, not confirmation that Hezbollah had launched an attack.
The speech also came amid Israel’s struggle to form a government. Later that day, President Isaac Herzog gave opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot the first chance to build a coalition, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stayed in office. Katz, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, urged Israelis to put their divisions aside when security was at stake.
For now, Katz has made a warning about Iran’s intentions and Israel’s readiness to act. He has not presented public proof of renewed nuclear weapons work or announced another strike.