Kochavi: Iran is the most dangerous country in the Middle East
Despite the distance, Tehran's role in funding terror groups along Israel's borders makes it Israel's top threat.
By ANNA AHRONHEIMIDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi speaks at a ceremony marking the IDF’s role in the fight against the coronavirus, June 8, 2020.(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
Despite its distance from Israel, Iran is the most dangerous country in the Middle East, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi said Sunday evening.“Iran has become the most dangerous country in the Middle East,” Kochavi said at a ceremony marking Strategy and Third-Circle Directorate, an entirely new position on the General Staff, which will focus principally on Israel’s fight against Iran.“It’s made significant progress with its nuclear program, but the nuclear [threat] is no longer the only threat. Iran also possesses conventional weapons,” Kochavi said, adding that while “it is located in the third circle, but is highly effective in influencing the first and second circle,” he said referring to financing terror groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria as well as Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip.Israel has warned repeatedly about Iran’s nuclear ambitions as well as aspirations of regional hegemony and has admitted to hundreds of airstrikes as part of its “war-between-wars” (known as MABAM in Hebrew) campaign to prevent the transfer of advanced weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon and the entrenchment of its forces in Syria where they could easily act against Israel.With more active and explosive fronts on Israel’s borders, with enemy arsenals turning groups like Hezbollah into terror armies, the guiding principle for the IDF’s Momentum multi-year plan is to win any future war as quickly as possible.The new directorate was formed as part of the IDF’s Momentum plan and under Kalman it will bolster the IDF’s attack capabilities, including technological means for the IAF jets to destroy enemy targets, increase the military’s intelligence superiority and expand its intelligence gathering on the Islamic Republic. This includes using satellites as well as bolstering Israel’s cyber (both defensive and offensive) capabilities.And while Iran will be the directorate’s primary threat, it will also focus on other countries in the region that pose a threat to Israel.The “third circle” refers to three tiers of direct threats to Israel, the first being terror groups along Israel’s borders like Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas; the second being larger threats like Hezbollah and neighboring enemy militaries and the third being countries that do not share a border with Israel like Iran and Yemen.Speaking at the ceremony, Kalman said that the reality of the global and regional environment “has changed significantly” and that while “the IDF has strengthened its position as a player in international security...faced with these challenges, the IDF is required to operate in a variety of arenas and dimensions.”Kalman, a former fighter pilot, previously led the IDF’s Strategic Division.
Under the Momentum plan, the IDF’s Liaison Unit which maintains relations with foreign militaries will be absorbed into the Strategy and Third-Circle Directorate which will also focus on developing the IDF’s larger strategies and international relations.Also during the ceremony Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar took over from Maj.-Gen. Amir Abulafia, who led the Planning Division which has been renamed as the Force Design Directorate.Bar, also a former fighter pilot, will command over the newly focused Directorate which will oversee the development of new combat and weapons techniques, specifically those which require cooperation between various branches of the military.“By correctly making use of the technology we will expose the hidden enemy and, with high lethality and by realizing the multilateral spaces, carry out what is expected of us, creating force multipliers on the battlefield and reaching a rapid victory in every arena and facing any threat,” he said.Hagay Hacohen contributed to this article
