Benjamin Netanyahu on massive strikes on Iran: 'Existential threat of terrorist regime must be removed'
Iran and Israel exchanged missile strikes on Saturday morning after Tel Aviv, with support from the United States, launched a ‘preemptive attack’ on Tehran.
Benjamin Netanyahu said the joint US-Israel strike on Iran is to remove an “existential threat” posed by Iran and that it “will create conditions for brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands.”
“The joint campaign will let Iranians take their fate into their own hands,” Netanyahu said in a statement. "The time has come for all sections of the people in Iran... to remove the yoke of tyranny from (the regime) and bring a free and peace-loving Iran.”
“The murderous regime of Iran must not be allowed to gain nuclear arms,” he said.
The strike comes after a 12-day air conflict between Israel and Iran in June, along with repeated US-Israeli warnings of further action if Tehran continued advancing its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
“The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
Israel carried out the operation during Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting from dawn to sunset. The strike also preceded the Jewish festival of Purim, which commemorates the salvation of Jews from annihilation in ancient Persia and begins on Monday.
Iran shuts down airspace
Iran International reported that the office of Iran's Supreme Leader, the main headquarters of Ali Khamenei in downtown Tehran, has been targeted in an attack on Saturday.
Iran vows to respond
Following the surprise US-Israel strike, Iran said it is preparing for retaliation.
Iran is preparing for retaliation following the attacks, with the response set to be crushing, an Iranian official has told Reuters. Iran is preparing to “take revenge” on Israel and deliver “strong response”, Iran's state tv reported.
Majid Akhavan, spokesman for Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, has announced that “the entire country’s airspace has been closed until further notice”.
According to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, explosions have been heard in the north and east of Tehran, as well as in Isfahan, Karaj, and Kermanshah.
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Kanishka Singharia has a deep passion for news and views. At Mint, she works as a Senior Copy Editor and covers trends. Constantly scanning social media platforms, she spots stories with viral potential, while her reporting - ranging from breaking developments to deeply moving human-interest pieces - blends speed with sensitivity. She has over four years of experience writing news and trend stories with leading organisations such as Hindustan Times and Times Now.<br><br> An alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication and the University of Delhi, she is rarely offline, often scrolling through X, LinkedIn, Reddit, Instagram, or Facebook in search of the next big story. When she finally logs off, she can usually be found binge-watching shows or exploring cafes in pursuit of good food and better conversations.