The Diplomatic-Security Cabinet convened Sunday at the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv as part of an IDF drill simulating a multi-front attack on Israel.
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Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that Israel must be able to respond to a rapidly changing situation in the Middle East.
"The reality in our region is changing rapidly. We are not stagnating. We are adapting our combat doctrine and our possibilities for action in keeping with these changes and our goals, which are not changing," Netanyahu said. "We are committed to acting against Iran's nuclear [program], against missile attacks on Israel, and the possibility of these fronts joining up."
Dubbed the "Firm Hand," the large-scale two-week-long drill across the country includes the Air Force conducting simulated "strategic" strikes deep in enemy territory, as well as the Navy carrying out mock attacks and defensive actions.
The drill was pre-planned and did not stem from the recent security escalations.
PM Netanyahu: "This is the goal of the exercise. We are certain that we can deal with every threat by ourselves, and also by other means." pic.twitter.com/44ztIWhEkg
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) June 4, 2023
Earlier, Netanyahu leveled sharp criticism against the International Atomic Energy Agency, following a report last week by the UN watchdog that Iran had given a satisfactory answer to explain one of three sites at which uranium particles had been detected.
"Iran is continuing to lie to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The agency's capitulation to Iranian pressure is a black stain on its record," Netanyahu told his cabinet in televised remarks.
The watchdog risked politicization that would lose its significance in Iran, he said.
The IAEA declined to comment.
A senior diplomat in Vienna said that the presence of the particles could be explained by the presence of a one-time Soviet-operated mine and lab in the arena, which is why the IAEA had no further questions.
In an apparent reference to this, Netanyahu said Iran's explanations were "technically impossible." In a 2012 UN speech, Netanyahu deemed 90% enrichment by Iran a "red line" that could trigger preemptive strikes.
Several weeks ago, Tehran made a sudden jump to 84% purity level, only to later claim it made a mistake and return to the original 63%.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
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