The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have announced the establishment of a new special branch in the General Staff to address the “emerging threat” by Iran.
The IDF announced structural changes in the General Staff, decided upon by IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi and approved by Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, which aims to “focus on military strategy in general and the Iranian arena in particular,” an IDF statement read.
Addressing the “emerging Iranian threat,” IDF spokesperson Brigadier General Hidai Zilberman explained the new branch would “concentrate on the design and planning of the campaign against Iran.”
The organizational structures of the new branch are not yet clear, with the IDF stating they are “yet to be determined.”
On Tuesday, Bennett said that Israel had recorded initial signs of Iran recalculating its trajectory in Syria while noting Israel’s transition from a defensive concept to an offensive concept in Syria.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously vowed that Israel would “not let Iran entrench itself militarily right in our backyard, in Syria. We resist that mightily. We take every action that is necessary to prevent that. And I believe we’re succeeding. We have taken up arms against a foe that openly calls for Israel’s liquidation. Obviously, we’re not going to wait.”
Israel reportedly last attacked Iranian targets in Syria on Saturday, during which weapons caches were hit and at least seven Syrian and Iranian troops were killed.
Strikes against targets in Syria reportedly carried out by Israel are usually meant to prevent the transfer of advanced weapons from Iran through Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon, or to thwart Iran’s military buildup in the country, and especially on Syria’s border with Israel.
Iran’s military buildup in Syria remains a red line for Israel.