Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is landing in Israel after a “very successful” visit to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. In a conversation with reporters, only 200 km from the border with Iran, Gallant revealed that in the last year and a half, over 50 Iranian terrorist attacks against Jewish targets and world leaders have been thwarted. According to the Israeli Minister of Defense come under the direct guidance of the radical Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
"Under the direction of the supreme leader, Iran has been leading a worldwide terrorist campaign in recent years, with an unprecedented scope, targeting Israelis and Jews around the world," Gallant said in a briefing for military reporters in Azerbaijan. “Thanks to our security system, thanks to close cooperation with many countries, and thanks to the understanding that Iran is a global threat, we were able to thwart these attempts and saved human lives as a result."
A press statement from the office of Israel's Minister Of Defense Yoav Gallant:
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) July 13, 2023
Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant has recently completed a meeting with Chief of the State Border Service Colonel General Elchin Guliyev in Baku.
The parties held an in-depth and professional… pic.twitter.com/QcdivLvBUw
During the visit, Gallant concluded on strengthening cooperation with Azerbaijan, Iran's neighbor, which warmly received the Israeli delegation. Gallant clarified during the meetings in Baku that Iran is not stopping on its way to becoming the largest terrorist organization in the world: "This fight does not stop, and its ultimate goal is one - preventing nuclear weapons from the irresponsible and dangerous hands of Iran." Gallant further added that "the visit to Azerbaijan is a significant step up in the discussion on the various elements that will strengthen the relationship between the countries. I held three important meetings, the first of which was a meeting with the President of Azerbaijan Aliyev, as well as with the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Border Protection."
The Minister of Defense referred to the fight against Iran's nuclear weapons and Iran's attempts to establish itself throughout the Middle East, which led to immense prioritization in the recently passed defense budget: "Iran stands at the center of the order of priorities of the defense system. In the multi-year budget that we recently signed, we allocated billions to deal with this, in order to be prepared in any way to ensure Iran is denied a military nuclear weapon."
Israel foiled some 50 Iranian attacks in recent years, as several of them were at the last moment.https://t.co/QX8ez0ecQT
— Emily Schrader - אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) July 13, 2023
The minister also added that after the latest operation in Jenin, it is possible to connect a direct line between Tehran and Palestinian terrorism: "In Jenin, we detected an increase in the quality and scope of the weapons, as a result of Iran's funding, dissemination of knowledge and methods of warfare, in order to interfere with Israel's ability to control the area. We have proven that wherever there is terrorism, we will act aggressively and proactively."
