Tel Aviv, June 13 -- Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Friday addressed senior military officials ahead of Israel's strikes on Iran, highlighting the Israel Defence Forces' (IDF) advanced operational and intelligence capabilities and reiterating Iran's nuclear ambitions as a top threat.

"Upon taking office, I defined the thwarting of Iran's nuclear ambitions as a top priority," Katz said, adding, "Iran is more determined than ever to realise its vision of destroying Israel. We are at a critical juncture; if we miss it, we will have no way to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons that threaten our existence."

Referring to the latest escalation, he said, "We have dealt with Iran's proxies over the past year and a half, but now...