Maj.-Gen. Shlomi Binder, head of the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate (Aman), said Friday that Israel is entering an “existential campaign” against Iran and Aman is operating at the highest level of readiness to disrupt Tehran’s nuclear and missile programs.

Speaking from the Israel Air Force’s underground command center following a simultaneous strike on senior Iranian military leadership, Binder praised the intelligence community for its role in identifying the threat and preparing for what comes next.

IDF Intelligence Directorate head Shlomi Binder commends troops for providing the warning of the imminent Iranian threat, June 13, 2025. (IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
“We want to degrade, disrupt and remove this threat,” Binder said. “We are embarking on a campaign that is nothing short of existential—against an enemy that seeks to destroy us.”

Binder said Iran is racing to develop nuclear capabilities and stockpiling large quantities of conventional weapons, posing an unprecedented strategic danger.

Military Intelligence worked ‘very, very hard’ to warn of Iran’s advances

Binder said that Aman had worked hard to catch Iran's secret attempts to work on various nuclear weapons group development issues, and that they had worked equally hard at following secret progress by Tehran regarding conventional ballistic missile threats.

Israeli Air Force personnel seen preparing to strike in Iran on June 13, 2025 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
Israeli Air Force personnel seen preparing to strike in Iran on June 13, 2025 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
“Military Intelligence is fully prepared for this mission, is on very high alert, and is entering this campaign from a very strong position,” he said.

He addressed his officers with words of confidence and resolve.

“I trust you, I believe in you. Bring your sharpness and your best selves—and with that, we will win. Good luck.”

Leadership and background

Binder was appointed as chief of Military Intelligence in August 2024, succeeding Maj.-Gen. Aharon Haliva. He previously commanded the Golani Brigade and served as head of the IDF’s Operations Directorate.

His remarks followed the overnight Israeli strike targeting the top brass of Iran’s military establishment, a move seen as a significant escalation in the long-running shadow war between the two countries. The IDF released a video and photo of Binder’s address from the Air Force’s command bunker as part of its public messaging campaign.

Earlier Friday morning, Israel said that the Islamic Republic had even started a program to try to build tens of thousands of ballistic missiles to clearly be able to overwhelm Israel's anti-missile shield.

Regarding the nuclear program, Israel published on Friday that Iran has made progress between December 2024 and now relating to nuclear core explosion, implosion, neutrons, and physical nuclear core issues, something which military intelligence would have had a leading or major hand in learning along with the Mossad.

Binder said this was a historic moment for military intelligence coordinating so many different issues for the current campaign against Iran.

Since 2023, IDF intelligence heavily increased the resources and personnel it invested in marking Iranian targets for a potential future strike.