Joint Attack With US Was To Remove Existential Threat Posed By 'Terror Regime' In Iran, Says Netanyahu

Last Updated:February 28, 2026, 14:14 IST

Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump for backing the strike, saying, “I thank our great friend President Donald Trump for his historic leadership"

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday announced that Israel, in coordination with the United States, has launched a military operation against Iran, describing the move as necessary to eliminate what he called an “existential threat" posed by Tehran’s leadership.

In a televised address delivered shortly after the operation began, Netanyahu said: “My brothers and sisters, citizens of Israel, just an hour ago Israel and the USA launched an operation to remove the existential threat posed by the terror regime in Iran."

The announcement marks a dramatic escalation in the rapidly intensifying Iran-Israel war, bringing Washington directly into the conflict alongside its closest Middle Eastern ally.

Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump for backing the strike, saying, “I thank our great friend President Donald Trump for his historic leadership."

The Israeli leader accused Iran’s ruling clerical establishment of decades of hostility and violence, stating: “For 47 years, the Ayatollah regime has been shouting ‘Death to Israel,’ ‘Death to America.’ It has spilled our blood, murdered many Americans, and massacred its own people."

Calling Iran’s government a “murderous terror regime", Netanyahu argued that decisive military action was necessary to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. “This murderous terror regime must not be armed with nuclear weapons that would allow it to threaten all humanity," he said.

While Israeli officials have long maintained that Iran’s nuclear ambitions pose a direct threat to the Jewish state, the prime minister framed the operation as having broader implications for global security. He suggested that the joint action could also open the door to political change inside Iran.

“Our joint action will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands," Netanyahu said, directly addressing Iran’s diverse ethnic communities. “The time has come for all parts of the Iranian people—Persians, Kurds, Azeris, Balochs, and Ahwazis—to cast off the yoke of tyranny and bring about a free and peace-loving Iran."

The address also carried a message of preparedness for Israelis, as the country braces for possible retaliation from Iran and its regional allies. Netanyahu urged the public to follow security directives, stating: “I call on you, citizens of Israel, to heed the Home Front Command’s instructions. In the coming days, during Operation ‘Roar of the Lion,’ we will all be required to show endurance and strength of spirit."

He concluded with a call for unity amid the escalating conflict: “Together we will stand, together we will fight, and together we will ensure the eternity of Israel."

News world Joint Attack With US Was To Remove Existential Threat Posed By 'Terror Regime' In Iran, Says Netanyahu

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