Israel says awaiting US green light to 'return Iran to Stone Age'

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · Apr 23, 2026 · 569 words · By Gavin Blackburn

Regional Conflict Escalation Israeli Military Posturing Diplomatic Efforts between Israel and Lebanon

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What to know about Regional Conflict Escalation

The war has spilled out of Iran and engulfed the region, leaving several thousand people dead, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and continues to destabilise the global economy.

Claims checked 14

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left14%

Center72%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The war has spilled out of Iran and engulfed the region, leaving several thousand people dead, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and continues to destabilise the global economy.

Why it matters

Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that Israel was "prepared to resume the war against Iran," adding that his country was awaiting a green light from the United States to return Iran to "the Stone Age." "The IDF is ready both defensively and…

Common ground

"We are awaiting a green light from the United States, first and foremost to complete the elimination of the Khamenei dynasty...and additionally to return Iran to the Dark Age and the Stone Age by destroying key energy and electricity facilities and…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Selective Omission: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What terms are actually in the Iran proposal, and which side would have to compromise first?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that Israel was "prepared to resume the war against Iran," adding that his country was awaiting a green light from the United States to return Iran to "the Stone Age."?
How does this story connect Regional Conflict Escalation with Israeli Military Posturing over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/2026/04/23/israel-awaiting-us-green-light-to-return-ira…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Name Calling / Labeling 85% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Selective Omission 70% confidence

Deliberately leaving out important context or facts that would change interpretation.

Why it matters: Recognizing selective omission helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6

schedule Pending 4

info Single Source 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

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Claim 1: “Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that Israel was "prepared to resume the war against Iran," adding that his country was awaiting a green light from the United States to return Iran to "the Stone Age."”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results directly quote or paraphrase Defence Minister Israel Katz stating that Israel is prepared to resume war against Iran and that the US green light is awaited for this action.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since 2 March 2026, there has been an ongoing war in Lebanon between Israel and the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah. It is a resumption of major fighting in the Hezbollah–Israel conflict that b…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Lebanon_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Israel Katz (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּ״ץ; born 21 September 1955) is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset for Likud currently serving as Minister of Defense and a member of the Security Cabine…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Katz

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Ministry of Defense (Hebrew: משרד הביטחון, romanized: Misrad HaBitahon, lit. 'Ministry of Security', acronym: Hebrew: משהב״ט) of the government of Israel, is the governmental department responsibl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Defense_(Israel)

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “The war has spilled out of Iran and engulfed the region, leaving several thousand people dead, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and continues to destabilise the global economy.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results and Wikipedia entries confirm that a war involving the US and Israel on Iran began on February 28, 2026, and that this conflict has wide regional consequences, mentioning casualties in Iran and Lebanon. The evidence points to a regional conflict originating from US-Israel actions against Iran.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran targeting military and government sites and assassinating several Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Iran and Israel have been engaged in a proxy conflict since 1985. In the Israeli–Lebanese conflict, Iran has supported Lebanese Shia militias, most notably Hezbollah. In the Israeli–Palestinian confli…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran–Israel_proxy_conflict

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 3: “Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has called on Lebanon to work with Israel to disarm the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 4: “"We don't have any serious disagreements with Lebanon. There are a few minor border disputes that can be solved," Sa'ar said to Israel's ambassadors and diplomatic corps in which he also described the neighbouring country as a "failed state."”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 5: “Lebanon was drawn into the war on 2 March when Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel to avenge the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli airstrikes.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 6: “She will also ask for an end to Israeli home demolitions in villages and towns occupied by Israel, Aoun said in comments released by his office.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 7: “"We are awaiting a green light from the United States, first and foremost to complete the elimination of the Khamenei dynasty...and additionally to return Iran to the Dark Age and the Stone Age by destroying key energy and electricity facilities and dismantling its national economic infrastructure," he added.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results attribute the statement regarding awaiting US approval to eliminate the Khamenei dynasty and destroy Iran's infrastructure to Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz. This is consistent with the reporting in Claim 1.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “The opening salvos of the Iran war on 28 February killed the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose son later succeeded him but has yet to appear in public, creating speculation over his condition and if he is even still alive.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death is linked to a joint US-Israel attack on February 28, 2026. Furthermore, Wikipedia sources confirm his death date and the succession to his son, Mojtaba Khamenei.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ali Hosseini Khamenei (19 April 1939 – 28 February 2026) was an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the second supreme leader of Iran from 1989 until his assassination in the 2026 Iran wa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Khamenei

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 28 February 2026, Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, was assassinated in Tehran as part of a series of Israeli airstrikes aimed at high-ranking Iranian officials. Khamenei's death was confir…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Ali_Khamenei

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Khamenei family is an Iranian religious and political family that has ruled Iran since Ali Khamenei was elected the second supreme leader of Iran in 1989. After his assassination in February 2026,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khamenei_family

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, which came into effect on 8 April, to create space for talks with Tehran.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the claim involves US political figures and ceasefires, the provided evidence for this specific claim is entirely irrelevant, containing only general information about the United States and airlines, and does not mention Donald Trump, an indefinite extension of a ceasefire, or a date of April 8th.

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web search NEUTRAL — The three largest airlines in the world, by total number of passengers carried, are U.S.-based; American Airlines became the global leader after its 2013 merger with US Airways. [407]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

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web search NEUTRAL — The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S. or US) or colloquially as America, is a country that is mainly in North America. It is made of 50 states, a federal district (…
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

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web search NEUTRAL — 18 hours ago · Reuters.com is your online source for the latest US news stories and current events, ensuring our readers up to date with any breaking news developments
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/

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Claim 10: “The meeting between Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad and her Israeli counterpart Yechiel Leiter is the second between the two diplomats, days after they held the first such direct talks in three decades.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that the meeting between Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Yechiel Leiter is reported as the second such direct talk between the two diplomats, following an initial meeting in three decades.

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web search NEUTRAL — The meeting between Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad and her Israeli counterpart Yechiel Leiter is the second between the two diplomats, days after they held the first such direct tal…
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/israel-iran-war-lebanon-isra…

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web search NEUTRAL — Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad called the meeting “constructive” but urged an end to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. Since March, that war has displac…
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-us-iran-war…

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web search NEUTRAL — Lebanon's Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter stand together before meeting at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026.
https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/4/14/lebanese-…

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Claim 11: “Israel and Lebanon were set to begin a second session of direct talks in Washington on Thursday to discuss the possibility of extending a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Israel and Lebanon were scheduled for a second round of direct talks in Washington regarding extending a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

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web search NEUTRAL — Lebanon and Israel are set to begin a second session of direct talks in Washington. The discussions scheduled for Thursday are focused on extending a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and plannin…
https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-us-talks…

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web search NEUTRAL — Israeli and Lebanese representatives will hold talks in Washington on Thursday, a U.S. State Department spokesperson and an Israeli source speaking on the condition of anonymity told Reuters on ...
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-lebanon-hol…

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web search NEUTRAL — The United States will host a second round of talks between Lebanon and Israel on Thursday, the US Department of State has confirmed, as the two countries push on with direct negotiations amid ...
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/20/lebanon-israel-to-m…

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Claim 12: “Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said on Wednesday that Hamadeh will put forward an extension of the 10-day ceasefire that went into effect last Friday.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was gathered for this claim, and the provided evidence search returned no results, meaning the claim cannot be verified or refuted with the available data.

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Claim 13: “The US will be represented in the talks by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, State Department Counsellor Michael Needham, Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, according to the State Department.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was gathered for this claim, and the provided evidence search returned no results, meaning the claim cannot be verified or refuted with the available data.

info

Claim 14: “"The IDF is ready both defensively and offensively and the targets have been marked," Katz said in a video statement.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim is attributed to Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz regarding the IDF's readiness. While the evidence confirms Katz made statements about Israel's military readiness in the context of the war, the specific quote about the IDF being ready both defensively and offensively with targets marked is not independently corroborated by multiple sources provided.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.