Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel and the United States had launched a joint operation targeting what he described as an existential threat from Iran’s ruling regime. He praised President Donald Trump for his historic leadership and said the action was necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Netanyahu accused Iran’s leadership of decades of violence against Israel, the United States, and its own citizens, and said the regime must not be allowed to threaten global security. He expressed hope that the operation would create conditions for the Iranian people to determine their own future and called on various ethnic groups within Iran to rise against what he described as tyranny.

Addressing the Israeli public, Netanyahu urged citizens to follow instructions from the Home Front Command during the coming days of what he called Operation Roaring Lion. He called for unity and resilience, saying Israel would stand and fight together to ensure its future.