IDF chief: Iran war will define Israel’s future

Israel’s military chief called the conflict with Iran “the war of our generation.”

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said the ongoing conflict with Iran will define the future of the Jewish state, urging Israelis to remain resilient amid frequent ballistic missile and rocket attacks launched by Iran and its Lebanon-based proxy, Hezbollah.

“This is the war of our generation,” Zamir said during a situation assessment on Sunday evening, according to Hebrew-language media reports.

The military chief described the conflict with Iran as “a critical war, a decisive war.”

“This war will determine our future and our security here for many years to come,” Zamir said.

Zamir acknowledged that the Israeli public has already been living under wartime conditions since late 2023 but urged citizens to continue holding strong on the home front.

“Israel has been in a prolonged state of emergency for the past two years,” Zamir said, referring to the Israel-Hamas war that began after the October 7, 2023, massacres.

“What we need right now, above all, is persistence and patience. This will take considerable time; you must be prepared for that, and however long it takes, it will take,” Zamir stressed.

He praised Israelis for their “tremendous resilience” and expressed confidence in “the strength of our home front to provide us with all the support needed to maintain our achievements.”

Zamir’s suggestion that the war with Iran could continue for an extended period was echoed by former National Security Council head Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror.

Speaking in an interview with 103 FM radio on Monday, Amidror said Israelis may have to spend the upcoming Passover holiday under missile fire.

“If in order to destroy Iran we have to sit in a [bomb] shelter on Passover, I think it’s a fair price,” Amidror said.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that the end of the conflict would ultimately be decided jointly by Washington and Jerusalem.

In an interview with The Times of Israel on Sunday, Trump said the conclusion of the war against Iran would be a “mutual” decision with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

However, he also indicated that Washington would retain the final say over when the fighting officially ends.