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“The campaign is not over,” Netanyahu said, “but already now, it is clear we have historic achievements.”
By United with Israel Staff
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a statement to the media Saturday night, declaring that Israel’s campaign against Iran and its regional proxies has already yielded “historic” results, while placing the Iranian nuclear threat at the center of the war and highlighting unprecedented coordination with the United States.
Netanyahu said he wanted to begin “with Iran itself, the head of the octopus,” stressing that preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons has been a central mission of his life.
“I dedicated a significant part of my life to preventing this regime of terror from obtaining nuclear weapons,” he said, warning that Iran seeks to “destroy the Jewish state and bring an end to Jewish history.”
He noted that he had raised the issue repeatedly on the global stage, including in the U.S. Congress and at the United Nations, while authorizing numerous covert actions to slow Iran’s progress.
“We delayed them, but the world did not listen,” he said. “Many said it’s not so terrible if Iran has nuclear weapons. I heard those voices not only abroad but even from within.”
According to Netanyahu, a decisive shift came with Israel’s direct strikes inside Iran during Operation Rising Lion.
“We were the first to break the barrier of fear,” he said. “The fear of acting inside Iran itself.” Recalling the moment Israeli pilots struck targets across Iranian territory, Netanyahu described a sense of “excitement” and “pride,” adding, “I know all of you felt it, too.”
He said the decision to launch the campaign was driven by urgent intelligence showing Iran was nearing both nuclear weapons capability and mass missile production.
“Why did we go into this campaign?” Netanyahu said. “Because Iran was very close to obtaining nuclear weapons and the ability to produce thousands upon thousands of missiles. Not a handful a day, but hundreds every day; two existential threats that we had to remove from above our heads.”
“If we had not launched Rising Lion and, later, Roaring Lion, Iran would already have nuclear bombs,” he added. “And that is what we prevented.”
Netanyahu revealed that even after the initial campaign, new intelligence showed Iran attempting to rebuild and expand its capabilities deep underground.
“After Rising Lion, a few months later, we received precise intelligence again, and it showed that Khamenei ordered the renewal and even expansion of both the nuclear and missile industries,” he said. “I use the word ‘industry’ to describe something far more extensive, deep underground.”
He said Iran sought to bury its programs beneath a mountain in a way that would make them inaccessible even to advanced U.S. bombers.
“He wanted to embed both missile production and nuclear production deep, deep under a high mountain, in a way that even B-2 aircraft could not reach,” Netanyahu said. “And again, we could not sit on the sidelines. We acted.”
Under Operation Roaring Lion, Netanyahu said Israel struck again, targeting the weaponization stage of Iran’s nuclear program.
“We eliminated eight more senior nuclear scientists who were working on weaponization,” he said. “Not just enriched uranium, but the weapon itself. Without that, you cannot produce nuclear bombs.”
Netanyahu emphasized that Israel’s actions, alongside the United States, dealt a severe blow to Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure.
He pointed to joint strikes, including the U.S. use of B-2 bombers against fortified sites such as Fordo, calling it “excellent work” carried out in close coordination.
“If I had told you a year ago that the United States would fight alongside us, shoulder to shoulder, wing to wing, for nearly 40 days against our common enemy, who would have believed it?” he said. “But it happened because we initiated, we acted, we struck.”
“The campaign is not over,” Netanyahu said, “but already now it is clear we have historic achievements.”
He said Israel had “crushed” key elements of Iran’s nuclear program, missile production, and broader military infrastructure, leaving the regime significantly weakened. “Iran before this war is not the same Iran,” he said. “It is much weaker.”
Netanyahu added that the impact is being felt across the region, particularly in Lebanon, where Hezbollah has been severely degraded.
“Hezbollah is isolated,” he said, noting that Israel has destroyed much of its missile stockpile and thwarted plans for large-scale cross-border attacks. “We will not allow terrorist organizations to sit on our borders.”
At the same time, Netanyahu revealed that Lebanon has recently approached Israel to begin direct peace talks, a development he described as unprecedented. Israel has agreed to engage, he said, with two clear goals: “the disarmament of Hezbollah and a real, lasting peace agreement.”
He argued that Israel’s military strength is now translating into diplomatic momentum. “Strength brings closeness, just as weakness drives it away,” Netanyahu said. “Israel today is stronger than ever.”
He added that countries across the region and beyond are seeking closer ties with Israel, reflecting what he called a fundamental shift in the balance of power. “We have become the strongest regional power,” he said, “and in some respects, even a global power.”
Despite the gains, Netanyahu cautioned that the mission is not yet complete, noting that Iran still retains enriched material. “As President Trump said, it must be removed,” he said. “Either by agreement or by other means.”
He concluded by crediting the achievements to the Israeli military, its close alliance with the United States, and the resilience of the Israeli public.
“There is a tremendous change here,” Netanyahu said. “And with God’s help, we will continue to act together and continue to win.”
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