Tel Aviv [Israel], June 13 (ANI): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the launch of a large-scale preemptive military operation against Iran early Friday, naming it Operation Rising Lion. The offensive, which targeted Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, follows mounting tensions in the region and comes amid what Netanyahu described as an existential threat to Israel.
On the eve of the strike, Netanyahu placed a note at the Western Wall in Jerusalem quoting a biblical verse: “A people that rises up as a lioness, and as a lion lifts himself up.” The symbolic gesture, made at one of Judaism’s holiest sites, underscored the gravity and spiritual resolve behind the decision.
In a nationally broadcast video statement shared on X, the Prime Minister declared, “Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.” He described the mission’s opening as a “very successful strike,” which hit Iran’s primary enrichment facility in Natanz, its leading nuclear scientists, and core ballistic missile infrastructure.
“This mission will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat,” Netanyahu vowed.
Netanyahu accused Tehran of advancing rapidly toward nuclear weapons capability, despite global diplomatic efforts and sanctions. “In recent years, Iran has produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atom bombs,” he stated. He warned that with sufficient delivery systems in development, Iran could soon field nuclear-armed ballistic missiles, posing a threat to millions.
Referencing historical parallels, Netanyahu said, “Eighty years ago, the Jewish people were victims of a Holocaust. Today, the Jewish state refuses to be a victim of a nuclear holocaust perpetrated by the Iranian regime.”
Reiterating Israel’s red lines, he added, “Israel will never allow those who call for our annihilation to develop the means to achieve that goal. Tonight, Israel backs those words with action.”
The Prime Minister detailed the operation’s primary targets:
Iran’s main enrichment facility at Natanz
Senior scientists involved in Iran’s nuclear weapons development
Strategic missile depots and production units
Netanyahu also noted Iran’s increasingly capable ballistic missile arsenal, recalling that last year, the regime launched 300 ballistic missiles at Israel. “Each carries a tonne of explosives. Imagine 10,000 tonnes of TNT landing on a country the size of New Jersey. This is an intolerable threat,” he said, citing intelligence that Iran aims to produce 10,000 such missiles within three years.
He accused Iran of encircling Israel with proxy militias and recalled recent confrontations with Hamas, Hezbollah, and attacks launched from Syria and Yemen. “But the people of Israel rose like lions to defend our country. We crushed Hamas. We devastated Hezbollah. We hit Iranian proxies. And when Iran directly attacked us twice last year, we struck back inside Iran itself,” Netanyahu said.
He emphasized that Israel’s actions also serve regional and global interests. “We defend our Arab neighbors… Our actions against Iran’s proxy Hezbollah led to the establishment of a new government in Lebanon and the collapse of Assad’s murderous regime in Syria.”
Addressing the Iranian people directly, Netanyahu clarified, “Our fight is not with you. Our fight is with the brutal dictatorship that has oppressed you for 46 years.”
Netanyahu expressed concern about global security, warning that Iran’s nuclear ambitions could one day threaten Europe and the US. “We will not let the world’s most dangerous regime get the world’s most dangerous weapons,” he said.
Thanking US President Donald Trump for his support, Netanyahu acknowledged, “He has made clear time and again that Iran cannot have a nuclear enrichment programme. Today, it is clear that Iran is just buying time. That is why we have no choice but to act. And act now.”
In a reflection on history, he recalled the inaction of world leaders ahead of World War II and invoked the post-Holocaust promise: Never Again. “That failure to act resulted in the deadliest war in history… Today, Israel has shown that we have learned the lessons of history.”
Concluding with a message of unity and determination, Netanyahu said, “Be strong and courageous… By defending ourselves, we defend many others and we roll back a murderous tyranny. Generations from now, history will record that our generation stood its ground, acted in time, and secured our common future.”
May God bless Israel. May God bless the forces of civilization everywhere. (ANI)
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