Netanyahu Claims Israel-US Campaign "Systematically Crushing" Iran

Addressing the public in Hebrew on Tuesday evening prior to the Passover festival, Netanyahu emphasised that "sooner or later" the Iranian administration will collapse. He noted that Israel is simultaneously forging "new alliances with important countries in the region" to counter the collective threat posed by Iran.

While the Prime Minister did not name specific nations, he remarked that he hoped "soon, I will be able to tell you more about these vital alliances".

"On the eve of this Festival of Freedom, Israel is stronger than ever. The entire world hears our lion's roar in our struggle against the evil regime in Iran, a struggle in which we have achieved immense, enormous accomplishments," Netanyahu declared.

The speech took place as the country honoured four soldiers killed during ground operations in Lebanon. Offering his sympathies, the Prime Minister acknowledged that these military successes have come with "painful costs".

"Marking one month of our joint campaign with the US, we are systematically crushing the terrorist regime that for decades cried: 'Death to America, Death to Israel.'... the regime of the Ayatollahs made a massive effort to annihilate us, to take over the Middle East, and to threaten the entire world," he asserted.

Netanyahu alleged that Tehran sought to achieve its "murderous ambitions" through nuclear development, ballistic missile programmes, and the sponsorship of regional terror proxies, all while attempting to survive "heavy sanctions".

"Now, I want to tell you: Over the years, all of this has cost Iran nearly a trillion dollars. And now it can be said: That trillion has gone down the drain," the Prime Minister claimed.

Invoking the Passover narrative, he stated that Israel has "dealt ten plagues upon the axis of evil". He listed strikes against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Assad government in Syria, militants in Judea and Samaria, and the Houthis in Yemen, alongside five specific strikes against Iran.

Among the actions taken against Iran, Netanyahu cited hits on "their nuclear programme, their missiles, the regime's infrastructure, its forces of oppression, and the 'Plague of the Firstborn', or in our case, the blow to the senior leadership".

"From the tyrant Khamenei, to the nuclear scientists, and onto the master-murderers of the Revolutionary Guard and the Basij, not to mention Nasrallah, Haniyeh, Deif, Sinwar, and many, many more," he said, referencing leaders from Iran and its allied groups killed since October 2023.

Netanyahu insisted that Iran is currently "weaker than ever" whereas Israel is "stronger than ever", though he cautioned that the military effort "is not yet over". He further claimed that Israel's actions had alerted the international community to the Iranian threat.

"I spoke with leaders in the Middle East in secret and in public meetings. I spoke with leaders in Europe. I also spoke with leaders in the US, with US presidents. They did not internalise the danger. Today, there is no one who does not understand the magnitude of the threat," he said.

He added that some foreign leaders admit their understanding in private but are "afraid to say it", while others are now "acting" alongside Israel.

Highlighting the partnership with Washington, the Israeli leader said the allied forces had delivered "crushing blows" to a "shaken" Iranian government. He reiterated that the threat from Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities had been removed "from over our heads" through operations 'Rising Lion' and the ongoing 'Roaring Lion'.

- ANI