Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani says Israel is evincing classic signs of collapse as it was caught off guard by the Palestinian resistance.
Ashtiani told reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday that the huge defeat inflicted on the Israeli regime earlier this month by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas exposed the regime’s weaknesses in terms of military strength which belied its claims about being in possession of advanced military and intelligence systems.
“The Zionist regime was caught off guard … strategically, operationally and tactically. It can be said that this regime with such level of being caught unawares is collapsing,” said the minister.
Some 1,400 Israeli settlers and military forces were killed in Hamas blitz into the Israeli-occupied territories of Palestine near the Gaza Strip on October 7.
The operation has been described by many as the worst and most humiliating defeat suffered by the Israeli regime in over the past 75 years since its creation.
In a bid to fix the damage caused by the operation, Israel has been bombarding Gaza from land, air and sea for more than three weeks, killing nearly 9,000 people in the besieged Palestinian territory.
The international community has called for an immediate stop in the Israeli attacks on Gaza to help reduce the plight of civilians.
Ashtiani said that Israel could suffer an even bigger defeat should the war continue in Gaza, warning that a potential spread of the repercussions of the conflict to other parts of the region could inflict serious harm on the regime.
“The Muslims and freedom-seekers and countries of the region do not have infinite patience. Certainly, all countries have various options on the table and are studying them [to stay safe from such repercussions],” he said.
