Israel’s defense minister says war against Iran ‘far from over’

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that the war against Iran is "far from over," warning that Israel's military remains prepared to strike Iranian targets with "great force."

His remarks came after US President Donald Trump said Washington will continue to hit Iran hard following overnight attacks on Iranian targets, following the downing of a US Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz.

"The campaign against Iran is far from over," Katz said at an event cited by the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

"The IDF (army) is prepared to strike Iran with great force," he added.

Katz said the regional landscape is undergoing "major changes."

"The Middle East is changing before our eyes," he said. "If Iran attacks Israel, it will suffer a severe blow just as we did several days ago."

Israel and Iran exchanged strikes this weekend following Israeli attacks on the Lebanese capital Beirut before pulling back.

The region has remained on edge since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in late February, triggering Iranian retaliation against Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets.

A temporary ceasefire was reached on April 8, but negotiations later stalled amid disputes over its implementation and subsequent regional developments.