Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation on Wednesday, the sixth day of “Operation Rising Lion,” telling its citizens that Israel is grinding down the Islamic regime’s military capabilities, nuclear and otherwise.
“We control the skies over Tehran. We are striking the ayatollahs’ regime with great force,” he said. “We are attacking nuclear installations, missiles, command centers and the symbols of the regime.”
The prime minister underscored the goals of the campaign: to remove two existential threats—that of Iran’s nuclear program and its ballistic missiles.
World leaders have shared their “tremendous admiration” for Israel’s determination, military achievements and the steadfastness of its citizens.
While Israel has suffered losses, the home front remains resilient: “The people are strong, and the State of Israel is stronger than ever.”
Netanyahu said the government is committed to destroying Hamas in the Gaza Strip and freeing the remaining hostages.
The Israeli premier praised U.S. President Donald Trump. “I thank him for standing by us and helping us to defend Israel’s skies.” America has assisted Israel against Iranian attacks on its population centers. Trump is weighing joining offensive strikes against Iran as well, reports say.
In an interview that aired Tuesday on Channel 14, Netanyahu provided insights into his decision-making process. He said the most important preceding decision was that of eliminating Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Sept. 27, 2024.
“He was the axis of the axis. He manipulated the Iranians after the assassination of [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ leader] Qassem Soleimani more than the Iranians used him,” Netanyahu said.
Assassinating Nasrallah “broke” the Axis of Resistance—the informal coalition of Iranian terror proxies scattered across the Middle East—and created the possibility for Israel to focus on Iran, he said.
Several months ago, Israel decided to attack Iran itself. “The most important decision was, in the end, to do it,” the prime minister said. “I didn’t see any other option.”
Nasrallah’s elimination led Iran to speed up its nuclear-weapons program. “What they had done slowly, they suddenly started doing quickly,” Netanyahu said. “They began weaponizing with great vigor.”
If Iran achieved nuclear-weapons capability, it would have the upper hand, said Netanyahu, so he gave the order “to move immediately, to thwart the nuclear program.”
A decision was also taken to eliminate Iran’s nuclear scientists since destroying the nuclear facilities but not the people behind them would mean that the threat remained. (Israeli airstrikes have eliminated nine Iranian nuclear scientists, according to reports.)
Israel also faced a threat from Iran’s ballistic-missile program. Iran started to produce 300 a month. Within a few years, Iran would have had thousands of missiles, enough to overwhelm Israel’s defenses. Israel added a second war aim of knocking out Iran’s missile production.
‘We are changing history’
“We are at a historic turning point. We are changing history,” Netanyahu said. “We are removing this Iranian empire, this evil empire that threatens our existence, the entire Middle East, and many parts of the world.”
“It’s a huge moment. It’s a moment of pride for the people of Israel,” he said. “What the Jewish people, the Jewish nation, this wonderful country, is doing, is not only to save itself, but to save the world.”
He described Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as a modern-day Hitler intending to destroy Israel and then destroy others.
Netanyahu said the Islamic regime has been his focus for the last 40 years, noting that since its establishment, he has been warning of the existential danger it presents.
He said that in 2011 and 2012, he tried to destroy Iran’s nuclear capability but was unable to recruit a majority in the defense establishment or among his coalition members.
A major blow to his efforts was the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), U.S. President Barack Obama’s “scandalous agreement” that paved a “highway of gold with hundreds of billions of dollars” for Iran to build a nuclear bomb, the prime minister said.
As much as Netanyahu registered dissatisfaction with Obama, he expressed deep appreciation for Trump. “I can tell you that we talk all the time, like friends, openly and with mutual admiration. I really appreciate his leadership of the free world, his leadership of the United States and the aid he gives us,” he said.
Questioned whether Israel requires U.S. help to destroy Iran’s Fordow nuclear site, buried 80 to 90 meters (262 to 295 feet) underground, Netanyahu stated that the facility would be eliminated.
“Those installations will be destroyed. I’m telling you. One way or another,” he said.
Whether Israel’s campaign will lead to the toppling of the Islamic Republic, Netanyahu said that would be up to the Persian people, who would need to rise up. “I’ll tell you one thing. I look at it as a historical circle. Cyrus liberated the Jews. And today, the Jewish state may liberate the Persians.”