By: Fern Sidman

In a striking policy shift that could reshape the Middle East’s balance of power, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Friday ordered the Israel Defense Forces to develop a sustained enforcement plan targeting Iran’s military, nuclear, and terror infrastructure—signaling what The Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) called a “new doctrine of preemption.”

Following the conclusion of “Operation Rising Lion,” a 12-day campaign of targeted Israeli airstrikes against strategic Iranian assets, Katz declared that the Jewish state’s immunity doctrine had expired, warning Tehran’s leadership that future Israeli strikes would be both “regular” and “escalatory.” The Jewish News Syndicate report noted the defense minister’s language was especially forceful, marking a rhetorical and operational departure from Israel’s traditionally calibrated responses to Iranian provocation.

“I suggest the defanged head of the snake in Tehran understand and beware,” Katz warned. “‘Operation Rising Lion’ was only the preview of a new Israeli policy. After October 7, immunity is over.”

Katz’s directive, as was reported by JNS, includes measures to maintain Israel’s aerial superiority across the region, as well as operations aimed at thwarting the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions, missile development, and terror financing networks—particularly its support for Hamas and Hezbollah.

In coordination with Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir offered a rare post-operation assessment from inside the Gaza Strip, framing the campaign against Iran as strategically tied to Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas.

“We achieved all of our objectives and delivered a significant blow to Iran’s nuclear program,” Zamir stated. “There is a possibility that the strike on Iran will advance our objectives in Gaza.”

According to the information provided in the JNS report, the IDF successfully targeted and dismantled numerous key Iranian military assets, including anti-aircraft batteries surrounding Tehran, missile launch sites near Isfahan, and several underground facilities tied to nuclear enrichment. Israeli warplanes also reportedly eliminated top security officials and nuclear scientists integral to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s long-term strategy to destroy the State of Israel.

The decision to directly link the Iran campaign to the fight in Gaza underscores the IDF’s updated doctrine of simultaneous threat reduction across multiple arenas—what Israeli officials call the “multi-front war paradigm.” By damaging Iran’s ability to bankroll and direct its terror proxies, Israel believes it is undercutting the operational capacity of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist factions.

In a dramatic affirmation of this doctrine, Mossad Director David Barnea issued a public statement Wednesday—an exceedingly rare move for the traditionally secretive spy agency—affirming Israel’s long-term covert presence inside Iran.

“We will be there, as we have been,” Barnea said in a video address cited by JNS. “We’ve worked for months and years to carry out the necessary actions and reach the right moment.”

According to the information contained in The Jewish News Syndicate report, Barnea emphasized that Mossad’s operational footprint within the Islamic Republic remains robust and is essential to preserving regional equilibrium. “Our reach into the Iranian regime is deep and enduring,” he said, framing intelligence penetration as a strategic pillar of Israeli defense planning.

The cumulative messaging from Katz, Zamir, and Barnea reflects a new, coordinated Israeli posture—aggressive, unapologetic, and unrestrained by previous rules of engagement. It also reveals growing confidence in Israel’s capacity to project force well beyond its borders without American military involvement.

Although the Biden administration has officially distanced itself from Operation Rising Lion, the Jewish News Syndicate reported that quiet coordination between Jerusalem and Washington likely occurred in the days preceding the airstrikes, given the operational complexity and potential regional fallout.

As Israeli jets return to base and intelligence operatives resume their clandestine missions, one reality is now clear: The Israeli government views the October 7 massacre by Hamas as a historic inflection point that ended the era of proportional response. With Iran weakened and Hamas cornered, Katz’s bold proclamation—“After October 7, immunity is over”—may mark the beginning of an entirely new era in Israeli strategic doctrine