Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday declared that Israel, in coordination with the United States, would continue military operations aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.
He made the remarks during a visit to Beit Shemesh, where an Iranian missile strike killed nine people. The visit came on the third day of sustained aerial bombardments under Israel’s ongoing military campaign.
Addressing reporters at the scene, Netanyahu described the area as having been “bombarded by the terrorists in Tehran,” adding, “The tyrants of Tehran target civilians; we target the tyrants of Tehran to protect civilians.”
The prime minister said the military campaign, known as Operation Roaring Lion, was initiated to safeguard Israel and “protect many others” by countering what he characterised as “existential threats.” He framed the operation as a preventive measure designed to weaken Iran’s strategic weapons infrastructure.
Netanyahu also referenced earlier warnings he said he had issued regarding the broader regional implications of the conflict. “They fired yesterday at a large part of the countries of the region,” he stated, pointing to recent cross-border incidents. Iranian drone activity reportedly struck a British military installation in Cyprus on Sunday, widening concerns about the geographic scope of hostilities.
In defending the campaign, Netanyahu described Iran’s leadership as a “terrorist regime of the kind we’ve never seen in the world.” He argued that permitting Tehran to retain advanced weapons capability would pose a global risk.
According to him, Iranian possession of nuclear arms, alongside ballistic and intercontinental missile delivery systems, “will threaten all of humanity.”
Meanwhile, Iran has continued its military posture following the 28 February killing of its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and other senior officials during the initial phase of joint US-Israeli operations. Tehran has neither indicated a willingness to scale back its response nor signalled readiness for negotiations.
Since the escalation began, reported attacks and security alerts have affected several territories across the Gulf and neighbouring regions, including Bahrain, Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.