Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that Israel launched targeted airstrikes against Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure, vowing that the operation will continue “for as many days as it takes.”
In a televised address from Jerusalem early Friday morning., Netanyahu announced the beginning of Operation Rising Lion, calling it a necessary measure to confront what he described as an existential threat to Israel.
“Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival,” he said. “This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.”
Netanyahu accused Iran of developing a nuclear weapons program and warned that if left unchecked, Tehran could soon produce an operational nuclear device.
“This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival,” he declared. “We struck at the head of Iran’s nuclear weaponization program. We targeted Iran’s main enrichment facility in Natanz. We targeted Iran’s nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb. We also struck at the heart of Iran’s ballistic missile program.”
He emphasized that Israel’s actions were not just in its own defense but also in defense of other nations in the region. “In defending ourselves, we also defend others. We defend our Arab neighbors. They, too, have suffered from Iran’s campaign of chaos and carnage.”
As of now, Iran’s government has not publicly responded to the strikes.
Meanwhile, Israeli sources say the country is preparing for a significant retaliatory strike from Iran—potentially larger than any previous attacks. While Israel plans to continue its assault on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, military assets, and key personnel, some within the country’s security establishment are reportedly questioning whether the nuclear threat can be neutralized by Israeli action alone.