BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 2. Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli army Eyal Zamir confirmed plans to continue the operation against Iran, which began on February 28, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement, Trend reports.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces reportedly held a meeting to assess the situation and approved plans to continue the operation.
Eyal Zamir said that less than 48 hours had passed since the beginning of the operation, and many days of fighting still lay ahead.
Following the second round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran on February 17, which ended without progress, the U.S. increased its presence in areas near Iran, deploying over 150 aircraft to bases in Europe and the Middle East.
The escalation follows the 3rd round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States in Geneva on February 26. Held under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the negotiations were seen as a last opportunity for a diplomatic resolution. However, no agreements were reached, as Tehran refused to halt uranium enrichment, dismantle its nuclear facilities, or accept indefinite restrictions on its nuclear program. Israel launched its airstrikes shortly afterward, with the country's Defense Minister Katz emphasizing that the operations were preemptive.
As a result of the military airstrikes carried out the previous day by Israel and the United States, Iran’s Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei and members of his family were killed.