Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the conclusion of Operation Rising Lion against Iran as a watershed moment in Israel’s national security, declaring it a “historic victory,” stating that “we sent Iran’s nuclear program down the drain,” and warning that any effort by Tehran to restore it would be met with “the same determination and strength.”
In a national address delivered Tuesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated, “In the 12 days of Operation Rising Lion, we achieved a historic victory. This victory will stand for generations. We removed two immediate existential threats—the threat of destruction by nuclear bombs and the threat of destruction by 20,000 ballistic missiles.”
He added, “If we had not acted now, the State of Israel would soon be facing the danger of destruction.”
According to Netanyahu, “This did not happen because at the decisive moment we stood up like a lion and our roar shook Tehran and echoed throughout the world.”
The operation’s opening strike, which he described as “one blow,” eliminated Iran’s senior military command, including three chiefs of staff and other senior figures. “Rising Lion’s opening blow will be recorded in the annals of Israel’s wars and will be learned by all the armies of the world,” he stated.
Netanyahu also underscored unprecedented U.S. involvement, singling out President Donald Trump for authorizing key military actions. “At Trump’s direction, the US military destroyed the Fordow facility. We attacked dozens of other facilities, including laboratories and centrifuge manufacturing plants. We completed the job, and we damaged the entire archive, which contained all of Iran’s knowledge to create an atomic bomb,” he said.
“We sent Iran’s nuclear program down the drain,” Netanyahu added.
“All the careful actions our soldiers took destroyed Iran’s nuclear project, and if anyone tries to revive it, we will act with the same determination and strength to thwart any such attempt.”
He reiterated, “I repeat — Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.”
He noted the unprecedented nature of the U.S. involvement: “The US joining not only on the defensive side — it is a historic event, it has never happened before. Israel has never had a great friend like Trump in the White House, and I thank him very much for the joint work.”
The Prime Minister highlighted the broader scope of the Israeli strikes beyond Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. “Iran’s intention to threaten Israel with tens of thousands of ballistic missiles has been removed. We destroyed headquarters, attacked Revolutionary Guard bases, Basij bases, and attacked symbols of power,” he said.
Netanyahu described a crushing final blow dealt to Iran’s regime just hours before the ceasefire, calling it “the hardest blow in its history” and noting that Israeli forces “eliminated hundreds of regime operatives in the most crushing attack Tehran has seen in the last 50 years.”
He concluded by acknowledging ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas: “We are not smug or complacent — quite the opposite. We must defeat Hamas and release all the hostages. To the families of the hostages, I say that during the war, we did not stop for a moment our efforts to bring all our hostages home, and we will not relent from this sacred mission until it is completed.”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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