‘Force Iran Has Never Seen’: Netanyahu Warns Tehran Against Attacking Israel

Last Updated:January 28, 2026, 02:42 IST

Netanyahu warned Tehran of unprecedented retaliation during a televised address.

The Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel would respond decisively if Iran were to launch an attack. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday warned that Israel would respond with unprecedented force if Iran were to attack the country, amid rising tensions in the region.

“If Iran makes the grave mistake of attacking Israel, we will respond with a force that Iran has never seen," Netanyahu said during a televised press conference, according to AFP.

Netanyahu also referred to recent remarks by US President Donald Trump, who has warned Iran over its violent crackdown on anti-government protests, even as Washington signalled that diplomacy remains an option.

“President Trump will decide what he decides; the State of Israel will decide what it decides," Netanyahu said. He reiterated that any Iranian attack on Israel would be met with overwhelming retaliation.

The comments come as the United States has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group to the region, prompting Iran to warn that it would not hesitate to defend itself against any threat. Trump told Axios on Monday that the US had “a big armada next to Iran", but said he believed talks were still possible.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, criticised what he described as US “threats" during a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying they were aimed at destabilising regional security, AFP reported.

Israel and Iran fought a brief but intense conflict last June, during which Israel struck military targets across Iran, killing several senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran responded with ballistic missile attacks on Israeli cities. The United States later joined the conflict with strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities before a ceasefire was declared.

Separately, Netanyahu said Israel would now shift its focus to disarming Hamas and demilitarising Gaza following the return of the last Israeli hostage from the Palestinian territory. He said no reconstruction work would be allowed in Gaza until those objectives were achieved.

Netanyahu also reiterated his opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state in Gaza, saying Israel would maintain security control over both Gaza and the occupied West Bank, despite growing international recognition of Palestinian statehood.

(With inputs from AFP)

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