IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir made a statement to the foreign press, saying that "the IDF launched Operation 'Lion's Courage' to remove an existential threat to the State of Israel." According to him, "over 12 days we operated with great precision and met our objectives. We struck deep inside Iran — delaying their military nuclear program, damaging their ballistic missile capabilities and eliminating those who led the effort to destroy Israel." He added that "Operation 'Midnight Hammer' was precise, powerful and achieved many successes. While operating over Tehran's skies, we maintained vigilance on six additional fronts."