Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a recent series of coordinated strikes, carried out with the United States, has given near-total control over Iranian airspace. In a Hebrew video posted on X, Netanyahu asserted, “We achieved almost complete control over the skies of Tehran.” He said the campaign was launched in close coordination with Washington and with US President Donald Trump’s full awareness of the threat Iran posed to Israel and the region.
Netanyahu tied the operation to the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, saying it had become a principal objective of his government. He said the campaign reflects a deliberate shift in Israel’s posture: “We have turned Israel into a regional power. All of this requires courage, initiative and taking risks,” and after October 7 he chose to pursue a “polar shift” through assertive action intended to change the balance of power.
He warned that Israel faces an urgent danger from Iran, accusing the regime of expanding military capabilities to attack Israel and other countries. “We are facing an extremely evil regime that is plotting to destroy us with atomic bombs and tens of thousands of missiles,” Netanyahu said.
Expressing gratitude to the United States, Netanyahu thanked President Trump for leadership and described the joint campaign—dubbed “Operation Rising Lion”—as essential to eliminate an immediate threat to Israel. He said Iran’s late Supreme Leader had tried to shield military assets by moving them into fortified underground sites and claimed the intervention was timed to prevent those capabilities from being used against Israel and US interests in the region.
Netanyahu added that the joint action was intended to thwart a potential pre-emptive Iranian strike and to give the Iranian people more control over their own future. He also claimed early operational results, saying, “In the first week, we eliminated the dictator Khamenei, we destroyed hundreds of ballistic missile launchers,” which he said significantly reduced the danger to Israel.
On the northern front, Netanyahu warned Lebanon to enforce a ceasefire agreement and disarm Hezbollah, saying failure to do so would have “disastrous consequences for Lebanon” and urging its citizens to “take your fate into your own hands.” He addressed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps directly, warning its operatives they were “in our crosshairs,” and said those who surrendered would not be harmed while those who continued fighting would “pay the price.”
Netanyahu also said Israel has a longer-term, organized plan with “many surprises” to undermine the Iranian government and foster change inside Iran. Speaking to the Iranian people, he framed the campaign as a liberation effort but stressed that ultimate change would depend on them: “To the Iranian people — we seek to liberate Iran. But at the end of the day, liberation from the yoke of tyranny will depend on you.” He said he believed that if Iranians rose up, the day might come when Israel and Iran could be “brave friends.”
He accused Iran of aggression against some 12 neighboring states and said other countries are increasingly seeking cooperation with Israel after witnessing its military and technological capabilities. Netanyahu criticized the United Nations for what he called hypocrisy, saying the body condemned Israel while failing to act over mass atrocities in Iran, and predicted a “dramatic expansion of the circle of peace” once the perceived threat from Iran’s leadership is neutralized.
Concluding his statement, Netanyahu said, “Together we will continue to stand firm. Together we will roar like a lion, and with God’s help, together we will ensure the eternity of Israel.”
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