Israel’s ambassador to Australia has said the country’s military conflict with Iran will continue for as long as necessary, describing the campaign as part of efforts to eliminate threats posed by Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Speaking on ABC Radio National, Israel’s ambassador Hillel Newman said Israel and the United States were engaged in a joint military operation aimed at countering what he described as an existential threat.
“The conflict will continue as long as we need,” Newman said.
He said Israel’s objective was to prevent Iran from maintaining the capability to launch nuclear or ballistic missile attacks.
Newman also said Israel hoped to see political change within Iran but insisted the future of the country ultimately lay in the hands of its people.
“The people of Iran must decide their future,” he said.
“We’re not deciding for them their future. It’s their choice.”
The ambassador described Iran’s leadership as “war-mongering” and accused the government in Tehran of seeking the destruction of Israel.
During the interview, Newman was questioned about reports that a girls’ primary school in southern Iran was struck during the first wave of US-Israeli airstrikes.
Local authorities and humanitarian organisations have reported that at least 165 students were killed when a missile struck Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in the city of Minab.
The strike is believed to have occurred between 10am and 10.45am during the school’s morning session.
The United Nations human rights office has called for an investigation into the incident.
Newman cast doubt on the reports, saying the details of the attack had not been independently confirmed.
“Our attacks are pinpointed and quite accurate against military installations,” he said.
“That’s why you don’t hear great numbers of civilians that have been affected.”
He suggested the incident could have been misreported or potentially caused by Iranian weapons fire.
“There are a few options regarding the school. One is that it’s not even true,” Newman said.
However, independent visual investigations have confirmed that the school building in Minab was destroyed during the opening phase of the strikes.
Verified video footage and satellite imagery have been used to confirm the location of the school and the timing of the explosion.
Investigators also found no indication that the school building was used for military purposes.
The strike occurred during the first wave of attacks carried out by US and Israeli forces targeting sites linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The conflict between Israel, the United States and Iran has escalated rapidly in recent days, raising concerns about civilian casualties and the possibility of a wider regional war.