JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday that while the Jewish state backs U.S. diplomatic efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear and regional threats, Israel stands ready to take military action again if necessary to neutralize what he called an existential danger.

“Iran has suffered extremely severe blows over the past year, blows that have set it back years in all areas,” Katz said during a military ceremony promoting Omer Tischler to the rank of major general as the next chief of the Israeli Air Force.

President Trump, in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “is leading the effort to complete the campaign’s objectives in a way that ensures Iran will not return to being a threat to the existence of Israel, to the United States, and to the free world for generations to come,” Katz added.

“We support this effort and provide the necessary backing, but we may soon be required to act again to ensure the objectives are achieved,” he said.

Katz’s comments come amid ongoing international efforts to address Iran’s nuclear program and its support for proxy militias across the Middle East. Israel has conducted multiple strikes against Iranian targets and its allies in recent years, significantly degrading Tehran’s capabilities, according to Israeli assessments.