“Help has arrived,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Iranian people on Saturday evening, speaking after the Israeli military launched “Operation Roaring Lion” against the Islamic Republic.
In his Hebrew-language remarks to the media, Netanyahu said that the operation was aimed at creating conditions for the “brave people of Iran” to throw off the shackles of the Islamic regime after 47 years.”
“Do not miss this opportunity,” Netanyahu stressed, calling on all segments of Iranian society to unite in taking back their country.
The premier praised U.S. President Donald Trump, calling him “a leader who stands by his word,” for ordering attacks on Iran as part of his “Operation Epic Fury.” U.S.-Israeli cooperation is at an “all-time high,” Netanyahu said.
The Israeli military operation, aimed at “removing the existential threat” posed by Iran, “will continue as long as needed,” Netanyahu declared, promising it would lead to “true peace” in the Middle East.
“There are increasing signs” that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the “powerful surprise attack” at the start of the fighting, he stated.
The Iranian regime and its regional terrorist proxies “have shed our blood; they’ve murdered Americans,” the prime minister said. “This murderous terrorist regime cannot be armed with nuclear weapons.”
“We went to battle to fundamentally change this situation,” he added.
Netanyahu concluded by calling on all Israeli citizens to abide by the civilian defense guidelines issued by the Israel Defense Forces’ Home Front Command and remain “steadfast” amid Iranian missile attacks.
“With God’s help, the roar of the lion of our soldiers, our pilots and our citizens will be heard throughout the world—the entire world knows that Am Yisrael Chai [‘The nation of Israel lives’],” he concluded.
The Israel Defense Forces launched preemptive airstrikes against the Islamic Republic on Saturday morning to neutralize the threat Tehran poses to the Jewish state, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced.
Iran subsequently fired many dozens of ballistic missiles at the Jewish state, with sirens continuing to blare across the country on Saturday evening. Some were intercepted, while others struck open areas.
Trump said in a statement posted to Truth Social that the U.S. military had also begun “major combat operations” against the Islamic regime.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people. Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas and our allies throughout the world,” he said.
