TEL AVIV, June 16. /TASS/. Israel has three goals in Iran: to eliminate nuclear program, to eliminate missile program and to eliminate the ‘axis of terror,’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
"We want to see the result, and this means three things: to eliminate the nuclear program, to deprive [Iran] of the ability to produce ballistic missiles and to eliminate Iran’s axis of terror," he said.
Previously, Israel declared two objectives for its operation: to put an end to Tehran’s nuclear and missile programs.
By the Iranian ‘axis of terror’ Israel normally means pro-Iranian forces in the region, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah Shia party and Yemen’s rebel Ansar Allah movement, as well as pro-Iranian Shia groups in Iraq and Syria.
"We will do our best to fulfill these three tasks," Netanyahu said. "We will not give up on any of them. The people of Israel will not agree to less."
Overnight into June 13, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion targeting Iran’s nuclear program. Iran responded in less than 24 hours. In the following days, Tel Aviv and Tehran exchanged strikes again. Both parties reported casualties and damage, and admitted that a number of facilities had been hit, but said the damage was limited.