Israeli FM threatens Iran saying it ‘deserves to be destroyed’

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has said Iran’s message of an obliterating war made it worthy of destruction.

⁠Taking to X, formerly known as twitter, the hardliner minister said: “A regime that threatens destruction deserves to be destroyed.”

Katz warned that Israel would act with full force against Hezbollah backed by Iran if it does not stop firing at Israel from Lebanon and move away from the border.

On Friday, Iran’s UN mission warned that if Tel Aviv initiates on a full-scale military aggression in Lebanon, an obliterating war will ensue.

Taking to X, the mission added that in such an event all options, including the full involvement of all resistance fronts, are on the table.

Hezbollah has been exchanging fire with Tel Aviv since October 7, in parallel with the Gaza war. Israeli premier  Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had said earlier they prefer a diplomatic path to resolving the situation.

Though Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz is a member of security cabinet, war policy has largely been led by PM Netanyahu and a small circle of ministers that includes Gallant, who visited the US this week for talks on Gaza and Lebanon.

Earlier, amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Canada’s government has imposed sanctions on prominent Israeli leader, Haartz reported.

The sections were imposed on the Amana movement, one of the flagship organizations of the settlements in the West Bank, and on veteran settler Daniella Weiss, it said.

The new round of sanctions were imposed on Israeli individuals and entities “for their role in facilitating, supporting or financially contributing to acts of violence … against Palestinian civilians and their property,” according to Canada’s statement.

The Lehava movement and its founder Benzi Gopstein are also amongst those sanctioned.

This is the first time sections were imposed by any government on Amana – the main organization of settlers in the West Bank.