Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has drawn a direct parallel between the Iranian leadership and Hamas commanders in Gaza, asserting that the regime's top officials are currently hiding in underground tunnels. According to Katz, Tehran has effectively transformed into a "twin" of the terrorist organization, issuing orders from bunkers to strike civilian populations and infrastructure across the Middle East.
The defense chief emphasized that while thousands have died in Iran, the authorities are desperately attempting to mask the scale of these losses by implementing widespread internet blackouts. Despite reports of overflowing morgues in Iranian hospitals, Katz maintained that Israel's military operations strictly target terrorist forces and strategic assets rather than the civilian population.
Israel intends to systematically continue its operations against the regime in Tehran and throughout the country, dismantling strategic targets one by one. The Minister added that these actions are intended to embolden the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow the current government, though he noted that the ultimate choice regarding their future remains with the citizens themselves.