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Israeli Defense Minister Says IDF Is 'Awaiting a Green Light' From Trump to 'Push Iran Back Into a Dark Age'

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz visits a military base and the military unit in the occupied territory of southern Lebanon on April 12, 2026.

(Photo by Elad Malka (IMoD)/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Israeli Defense Minister Says IDF Is 'Awaiting a Green Light' From Trump to 'Push Iran Back Into a Dark Age'

One critic described the Israeli official's remarks as the country's "official statement of intent to commit further war crimes in Iran."

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday said his country was ready to unleash devastating new attacks on Iran should it get approval from US President Donald Trump.

As reported by Amichai Stein, diplomatic correspondent for iNews24, Katz said that Israel is "prepared to resume the war" and is "awaiting a green light from the United States."

Katz also vowed that Israel would hit Iran even harder than in previous strikes, vowing "to complete the elimination of the Khamenei family and to push Iran back into a dark age."

"This time, the strike will be different and far more lethal, delivering devastating blows at the most sensitive points," Katz warned, "ones that will shake and undermine its very foundations."

Targeting civilian infrastructure such as power plants is a war crime under international law. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu already has a warrant out for his arrest issued in 2024 by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes committed in Gaza.

Dylan Williams, vice president for government affairs at the Center for International Policy, described Katz's remarks as "Israel’s official statement of intent to commit further war crimes in Iran."

Drop Site News reporter Ryan Grim observed that the Israeli defense minister's threats are reminiscent of the strategy that it has employed in Gaza in its effort to dislodge Hamas over the last three years.

"Israel believes it is always a few good assassinations away from total victory," Grim commented. "Now pledging more."

Trump, in partnership with Netanyahu, illegally launched a war with Iran in late February without any congressional authorization. In response to the attack, Iran shut down all shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, choking off roughly 20% of the global oil supply.

In that time, the price of oil has soared, Trump's approval ratings have crashed to record lows, and a UN expert warned on Wednesday about the possibility of a global food crisis if the strait is not soon reopened to fertilizer shipments.

There has been a fragile ceasefire agreement in effect between the US, Israel, and Iran for the last two weeks, which Trump extended indefinitely on Tuesday.

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