Israel moves to ‘next phase’ in war with Iran, promises 'more surprises ahead'

Israel says its military campaign against Iran is shifting into a new stage, with leaders claiming major progress in weakening Tehran’s missile infrastructure and warning that additional operations are on the way. Speaking to reporters at the United Nations on Thursday (March 5), Israel’s ambassador Danny Danon said Iran’s ability to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would soon diminish significantly. He said continued strikes on missile launch sites were already reducing the number of rockets fired toward Israel.

"You saw at the beginning of the war around 100 missiles ending in Israel. Today, you are talking about maybe 20. So I'm sure we will see that going in that direction," he said. “Every day, their capabilities shrink. Every hour, we, together with the US, degrade, destroy, and dismantle the launch sites and stockpiles. The volume of missiles they are firing is already falling, and we are only six days in.” "They are getting weaker and weaker," Danon said, adding that it was not yet time for diplomacy with Iran. "I think diplomacy will come into action, (but) not yet," he said.

“We have to finish the job... It will not be months, it will be weeks or days, but we need to continue. We need to continue to hammer, to dismantle the capabilities, and then... to use diplomacy to ensure that they are not doing the same.” When Iranians look into the skies now, they only see Israeli and American aircraft, Danon said. "We need to be patient," he said. "Give us a few more days, and it will be much, much harder for the Iranians to disrupt the vessels coming through the Strait of Hormuz."

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Israel’s military leadership also confirmed that the conflict is moving into what it described as the “next phase” of operations. Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, said: "After completing the phase of the surprising opening strike,

in which we achieved air superiority and suppressed the ballistic missile array, we are now moving to the next stage of the campaign, in which we will intensify the damage to the foundations of the regime and its military capabilities."

"I am in continuous contact with my American counterparts, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, General Dan Caine, and the commander of CENTCOM, Admiral Brad Cooper. We are fighting based on shared interests and values. In this war, shoulder to shoulder, they are true friends. Through coordinated action, we are stripping the regime of its military capabilities and bringing it to strategic isolation and a point of weakness in which it has never been before.”

Conducted more than 2,500 attacks on Iran: Israeli military chief

According to the Israeli military, its air force has carried out more than 2,500 strikes across Iran and deployed over 6,000 munitions since the fighting began. Officials say these operations have destroyed more than 60% of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers. Zamir said the upcoming stage of the campaign will focus on further weakening Iran’s military structure and undermining the foundations of the regime. "In our hands are additional surprising moves that I have no intention of revealing," he added.

The United States and Israel continued coordinated attacks on Iranian targets on Thursday as the conflict entered its sixth day. Iran, meanwhile, has launched retaliatory strikes against Israel, U.S. military installations, and countries across the region. The widening confrontation has drawn in at least 14 countries across the Middle East and beyond, disrupting oil flows and complicating international air travel. Officials report that the conflict has resulted in at least 1,230 deaths in Iran, more than 100 in Lebanon, and about a dozen in Israel. Six US troops have also been killed.

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