Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a recorded message from Israel’s military headquarters in Tel Aviv urging the people of Iran to celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian new year, while Israeli forces continue targeting senior Iranian officials and operatives. He said that Israeli aircraft are striking operatives on the ground and monitoring developments from the skies.

Netanyahu stated that two senior Iranian figures were killed in the past day, including Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, who headed the Basij paramilitary force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He said the military actions were intended to enable Iranians to mark the festival freely and concluded his message by wishing them a happy Nowruz.

President Isaac Herzog also extended holiday greetings to the Iranian people, saying they deserve change and a better future. In a separate earlier message, Netanyahu described the holiday as carrying special meaning this year and expressed hope for a year of freedom and renewal for the people of Iran.