FIRST ON FOX: As Israel pursues what it terms an existential campaign against Iran, IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin stated that the conflict has underscored a significant strategic reorientation in Israel’s self-perception and its alliances, particularly with the United States and regional partners.
“Israel was never part of this region. We thought we were part of Europe,” he remarked. “Since the [conflict] started, we are having good relations with our neighbors. We are part of this region now.”
He characterized the 2020 agreements as pivotal, building upon the peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan. “The military cooperation is great. Some of the things are overt and some covert,” Defrin said in his first English-language media interview since the conflict began. “Iran is a regional threat, and that is clear to everyone now.”
However, he emphasized that the campaign against Tehran extends beyond regional concerns.
“It’s a worldwide problem, it’s a global problem, it’s a regional problem and it’s also an Israeli problem,” he asserted. “They are not hitting only Israel.”
The spokesperson revealed that the operation was preceded by months of strategic deception.
“It was a [months-long deception campaign],” he stated.
On the eve of the strike, senior officials deliberately maintained routine appearances.
“Friday night we went to dinner at home. The [IDF Chief of Staff] and I returned late in cars that were not our official vehicles. The official cars stayed at home, and we made sure that from satellite imagery it would not look like the Kirya (ministry of defense) was full while all the planes were armed and ready.”
He indicated that Iran was caught unprepared. “For many long months there was deception, so they were surprised. They fired what they had pre-planned in their preset response.”
The spokesperson confirmed that the [operation] was carried out in coordination with the Trump administration. “It was a mutual operation,” he said. “The cooperation between us and the American military is amazing. We have mutual planning and mutual executing for the plans in Iran and beyond.”
He framed the operation as part of an unprecedented U.S.-Israeli military collaboration. “The entire operation in Iran is a mutual and [joint operation],” he stated.
He also highlighted a broader international dimension. “It’s a problem with [Iran’s proxies] as well,” he said, referencing attacks by Iranian-backed groups that have resulted in the deaths of American service members and threatened shipping lanes.
“They are posing a threat to the Red Sea… the movement of naval ships in the Suez Canal dropped by 90% since the Houthis started shooting at ships in the Bab al-Mandab Strait,” he noted. “It’s a global problem. It’s a terror regime. They are acting all over the world. And again, we had to act.”
He added that regional states are increasingly recognizing the threat. “Israel is here to stay. You see the countries of the region placing their trust in Israel.”
Addressing reports that dozens of senior Iranian figures were eliminated in a strike on Tuesday, including claims that 88 members of Iran’s Assembly of Experts were killed, he dismissed the figures.
“We struck a few targets involved in terrorism. We still don’t have any battle damage assessment. Once we have it, we will publish it. It’s too early.”
He emphasized that the targets were military. “We [are not targeting civilians], they are attacking population centers.”
According to the spokesperson, Israeli intelligence indicates that Iran is deliberately targeting civilians “to exact a price,” including launching projectiles toward civilian infrastructure.
Explaining the rationale behind launching the campaign, the spokesperson described Iran as an immediate existential threat.
“We didn’t have another choice, unfortunately. It’s an existential imminent threat. This is a terror regime,” he stated.
“They declared it. Whatever they declared, they did.”
When asked if regime change was an objective, he differentiated between military goals and political outcomes.
“As a member of the military, I cannot say we have an aim to remove the regime,” he said. “But definitely, we want to weaken it and create the conditions that one day this regime will be removed by its own people.”
As [tensions rise] following renewed Hezbollah fire, he reiterated Israel’s perspective of Iran as the central entity in a regional network.
“Hezbollah is an octopus. The [head] is in Iran.”
For Israel, he concluded, the campaign has clarified a strategic reality shaped by the Abraham Accords and enhanced U.S. cooperation. “We are part of this region now.”