‘Baseless and false’: Israel def min rejects Netanyahu-army chief rift reports

Israeli defence minister Israel Katz on Monday denied reports of a major confrontation between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and military chief lieutenant general Eyal Zamir over possible military action against Iran, saying Israel had no plans to launch an attack before the country’s election.“The reports of disagreements between the political leadership and the IDF on Iran are completely baseless and false,” Katz said in a statement reported by the Times of Israel.Katz said Israel had no intention of initiating an attack on Iran before the election but warned that any Iranian attack would prompt a forceful response.“I state unequivocally that Israel had no intention of initiating an attack on Iran before the elections in Israel, while making clear that if Iran attacks Israel, we will respond with great force,” Katz said, adding that “all reports on this matter are completely false”.The denial followed reports by Channel 12 on Saturday that…