Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said Israel launched a ‘targeted military operation’ against Iran, striking ‘at the heart’ of Tehran’s ballistic missile programme. The Israeli PM said the attack was to roll back the threat to Israel’s “very survival”.Netanyahu said Israel’s attack on Iran would “continue for as many days as it takes” after Israel announced it had carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites.“This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat,” Netanyahu said in a video statement, naming the operation “Rising Lion”, reported news agency AFP.“We struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme. We targeted Iran’s main enrichment facility at Natanz… We also struck at the heart of Iran’s ballistic missile programme,” he said, adding that Israel had also hit Iranian nuclear scientists “working on the Iranian bomb,” he said.Netanyahu said the military operation would continue against Iran “for as many days as necessary” to eliminate the threat. “This military operation aims to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival. This operation will continue for as many days as necessary to eliminate that threat. For decades, the tyrants in Tehran have openly and brazenly called for the destruction of Israel,” he said.Israeli PM claimed that Iran has produced “enough highly enriched uranium for nine atomic bombs” and that it could produce “a nuclear weapon in a very short time”. “They have backed up their genocidal rhetoric with a program to develop nuclear weapons. In recent years, Iran has produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atomic bombs – nine. In recent months, Iran has taken steps it had never taken before – steps toward weaponising that enriched uranium. If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time. It could be within a year. It could even be within a few months – less than a year. This poses a clear and present danger to Israel’s very existence. Eighty years ago, the Jewish people were the victims of a Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazi regime,” Netanyahu said in an address shortly after the “Operation Rising Lion”.The attack comes hours after Iran announced that it has built and plans to activate a third nuclear enrichment facility, escalating tensions with the United Nations just after the UN’s atomic watchdog censured the country for failing to meet its nonproliferation commitments aimed at preventing the development of nuclear weapons. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has no choice but to respond to this political resolution,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry and Atomic Energy Organisation said in a joint statement.The timing also coincides with the efforts of the United States to actively lead negotiations with Tehran aimed at reaching a deal to restrict Iran’s capacity to develop nuclear weapons. The Israeli strike followed months of friction between US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu over how best to confront Iran. Netanyahu has consistently pushed for military action as a way to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions. On Thursday, Trump reiterated his opposition to an Israeli attack, warning that such a move could derail diplomatic efforts. “I think it would blow it,” he said. Still, he acknowledged the complexity of the situation, adding, “It might help it actually, but it could also blow it.” Earlier, Trump had dismissed an Israeli plan to launch a strike against Iran, making it clear that he wanted time to pursue a negotiated settlement with Tehran. Just two weeks ago, he said he had cautioned Netanyahu against attacking while talks were under way. However, those negotiations have stalled in recent weeks, and it remains uncertain how much effort Trump made to prevent this latest escalation.Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said that the strikes by Israel were “unilateral” and that US’ priority is now to protect the American forces in the region.Rubio said that Israel said that the strikes were done in the spirit of self-defence.He said that Iran must not harm US interests or personnel.In a statement, Rubio said, “Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense. President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel.”
