"Israel is prepared to renew the war against Iran," Defense Minister Israel Katz said at the end of a situational assessment on Thursday, with the military awaiting the green light from the United States to "complete the elimination of the Khamenei dynasty."
"The IDF is prepared for both defense and attack, and the targets are marked," said Katz.
The Defense Minister discussed the Islamic regime's practice of oppressing its people, saying, "The terrorist regime in Iran specializes mainly in internal repression of the population through the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij."
Katz also accused Iran of "energy extortion, with the threat of raising global oil prices."
"Its leaders are hiding in tunnels and have difficulty communicating and making decisions," Katz continued, "its skies are wide open, and all its national infrastructure and strategic facilities are exposed to attacks, but it declares that it is victorious."
Katz compared Iran to its proxy terror groups of Hamas and Hezbollah, saying the country "does not care about the heavy prices paid by the population."
Turning to future IDF attack plans, Katz described them as "different and deadly," stating that the military will strike "the most painful places," adding that the attacks would "shake and collapse its [Iran's] foundations."
Iran relying on militias to curb renewed protests
Iran has reportedly tasked foreign militias with keeping civilian protests down, according to social network expert Effi Banai, who spoke to 103FM's Sivan Cohen on Thursday.
Social media content emerging from Iran paints a complex and increasingly tense picture, Banai said, adding that the regime appears to be trying to prevent a widespread outbreak of protests by reinforcing its presence on the ground.
“We see the pressure on the regime on social media," said Banai. "They have brought in militias from abroad, from Pakistan, Iraq, and Afghanistan. They are helping them impose order. They go around in trucks, in civilian clothing, carrying machine guns."
"The soldiers speak Arabic rather than Persian, [which the locals notice and comment about on social media]," Banai added. "They are imposing terror in the streets so that people won’t go out and protest. The regime knows its people are hungry, desperate, and are afraid they will take to the streets again.”
103FM contributed to this report.