IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi asserted that “we are ready to act against Iran. The Israeli army has the ability to strike both in distant countries and near home. In the coming years, the IDF will significantly strengthen its capabilities for a [pre-emptive strike on Iran] and, despite the distance, such a strike will be overwhelming”. “We know how to act alone”, Halevi emphasised. “We are a sovereign nation that reserves the right to make its own decisions. It would be good to have the U.S. on our side, but it is not an obligation”.