Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel has neutralised an imminent existential threat from Iran’s nuclear programme, following a major joint military campaign with the United States.
Speaking at a press conference, Netanyahu said Israel had carried out extensive strikes on Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure, including missile production sites and air defences, and had “saved the State of Israel from annihilation”.
He said Iran would be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons “with or without an agreement” and vowed that the threat would not materialise “not today, and not tomorrow”.
Netanyahu said Iran’s nuclear ambitions remain Israel’s central concern and vowed continued opposition to any Iranian nuclear capability.
“We have fended off an immediate threat of annihilation,” he said, adding that Israel “neutralised nuclear scientists, decapitated the leaders of the terror regime, and pulverised nuclear facilities.”
He also described what he called “massive economic and military damage” inflicted on Iran, estimating losses “in the hundreds of billions of dollars” and, in some assessments, “closer to a trillion dollars”.
Netanyahu also said Israel had expanded its military operations against Iran’s regional allies, including Hamas and Hezbollah, and would maintain long-term security control in key buffer zones along its borders.
He expanded on military operations across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and the West Bank, saying Israel had struck militant groups and infrastructure “everywhere”.
On Hamas leadership, he said, “We eliminated Deif, Haniyeh, and Sinwar, along with many of Hamas’s leaders.”
He also claimed that all Israeli hostages in Gaza had been returned: “We returned all the hostages from Gaza, down to the very last one.”
Netanyahu highlighted strikes against Hezbollah, saying Israel had eliminated key leadership and degraded its missile arsenal.
“We eliminated the arch-enemy Nasrallah,” he said, referring to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
He also claimed Israel had destroyed “the vast majority of the 150,000 rockets and missiles” held by the group.
The prime minister said Israel has now established long-term “security zones” around its borders in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria to prevent future attacks.
“Israel will not allow terror organisations to encamp on our borders.”
Netanyahu said Israel’s strategy has fundamentally changed since the October 7 attacks, shifting toward pre-emptive action.
“We broke the barrier of fear. We take initiative, we attack, we surprise, and we strike at those who threaten our lives.”
He described the current campaign as part of a broader restructuring of Israel’s defence posture.
“Israel will continue to neutralise threats in the region; we will build new alliances with countries in the region and beyond. Israel will ensure our own domestic armament independence; this is another principle I established, and I am investing 350 billion NIS in that as a supplement to the defence budget. Israel will develop technologies that break the boundaries of imagination, and we will turn Israel into an even stronger power. Because our strength is the key to our future, it is the key to our security, it is the key to our economy, and it is the key to our alliances. Because alliances are made with the strong, and Israel today is a very strong country. It is strong thanks to you, citizens of Israel,” he said.
He said Israel would deepen regional alliances and continue developing advanced military technologies.
“Israel is stronger than ever, and Iran’s Axis of Evil is weaker than ever.”
