JERUSALEM (VINnews)-Defense Minister Israel Katz declared Wednesday that Israel will confront any existential danger, issuing a stern warning to adversaries including Iran during an IDF officer cadets graduation ceremony.

“We beheaded the leadership of the Houthi terror organization in Yemen that attacked Israel, and removed the threats of annihilation over the State of Israel in Operation Rising Lion in Iran,” Katz told graduates at Bahad 1 officers’ school in southern Israel.

He continued: “We will not allow threats of annihilation against the State of Israel in the future either, and we will act against every threat, near and far.”

Katz directly addressed Israel’s enemies: “Do not test us and do not challenge our determination, because you will find facing you a united people and a strong and victorious army.”

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir reinforced the message of readiness, stating the military’s “eyes are open in every direction, and our finger is more poised on the trigger than ever in the face of any change in the operational reality.”

“Anyone who seeks to test our determination will encounter power that will exact an immediate and heavy price,” Zamir added.

The remarks come amid heightened regional tensions, with Katz’s reference to Operation Rising Lion — Israel’s 2025 campaign that targeted Iranian nuclear and missile infrastructure — highlighting a policy of decisive preemption against perceived threats of annihilation.