By: Fern Sidman

In a solemn and triumphant address to the Israeli public on Tuesday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the conclusion of Operation Rising Lion, hailing it as “a historic victory that will stand for generations.” Speaking from the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu detailed what he characterized as one of the most consequential military campaigns in the nation’s history, asserting that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), together with the United States, had eliminated two of the gravest threats to Israel’s survival.

“In the 12 days of Operation Rising Lion, we achieved a historic victory,” Netanyahu began, his tone at once resolute and reflective. “We removed two immediate existential threats: the threat of destruction by nuclear bombs and the threat of destruction by 20,000 ballistic missiles. If we had not acted now, the State of Israel would soon be facing the danger of annihilation.”

Netanyahu’s remarks, covered by Israel National News (INN), framed the operation as a strategic masterstroke that prevented what he described as a near-future cataclysm. “This did not happen because, at the decisive moment, we stood up like a lion — and our roar shook Tehran and echoed throughout the world,” he said, invoking the imagery behind the name of the operation.

Operation Rising Lion began with a bold and unprecedented opening salvo, which Netanyahu stated will be “recorded in the annals of Israel’s wars and will be studied by all the armies of the world.” According to the information provided in the Israel National News report, the initial airstrike wiped out Iran’s senior military command infrastructure in a single night, targeting multiple hardened facilities and eliminating what Netanyahu called “three chiefs of staff and other senior figures” from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The prime minister emphasized that the goal was not symbolic retribution but the neutralization of active and imminent threats. “In one stroke — one blow — we eliminated Iran’s senior command,” he declared. “This was the nerve center of Iran’s terror empire, and we decapitated it.”

The strikes followed weeks of escalating tension between Israel and Iran, culminating in a coordinated effort between the IDF and the U.S. military. Israel National News reported that Israel’s intelligence apparatus played a central role in targeting, with the Mossad and IDF Intelligence Directorate working in close cooperation with American partners.

Netanyahu acknowledged and praised the pivotal role of the United States in the campaign, singling out President Donald Trump for his decisive leadership. “At Trump’s direction, the U.S. military destroyed the Fordow facility,” he said, referring to the heavily fortified uranium enrichment site buried deep in a mountain near the Iranian city of Qom.

The Fordow strike marked a turning point in the campaign, demonstrating a level of coordination and precision that few had anticipated, according to the information contained in the INN report. Netanyahu elaborated that Israel had simultaneously struck “dozens of other facilities, including laboratories and centrifuge manufacturing plants.”

Particularly significant, he said, was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear archive — a vast repository of documents, designs, and technical data detailing the Islamic Republic’s nuclear weapons ambitions. “We completed the job and damaged the entire archive, which contained all of Iran’s knowledge to create an atomic bomb,” Netanyahu announced.

Security analysts speaking with Israel National News confirmed that the elimination of these data centers could set Iran’s nuclear ambitions back by a decade or more, depending on the Islamic Republic’s capacity to reconstruct what was lost.

Netanyahu concluded his speech with a stark warning: Israel would not hesitate to act again should Iran attempt to resurrect its weapons programs. “All the careful actions our soldiers took destroyed Iran’s nuclear project,” he said. “And if anyone tries to revive it, we will act with the same determination and strength to thwart any such attempt.”

The message, underscored by a tone of national pride and vigilance, was not only aimed at Tehran but at Israel’s regional adversaries and international observers. Netanyahu’s remarks were laced with recognition of the IDF’s technical precision, the bravery of its pilots, and the moral clarity of the operation.

“The people of Israel stood united. The government acted with resolve. Our soldiers executed with courage,” he said. “This is the essence of Zionism — to stand firm in the face of danger, and to ensure the Jewish people will never again be defenseless.”

Reactions across the Israeli political spectrum were swift. Opposition leaders largely refrained from criticism, acknowledging the strategic gravity of the operation. Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant praised Netanyahu’s leadership, calling the strikes “a master class in deterrence,” as quoted by Israel National News.

Internationally, early responses were mixed. European leaders urged continued diplomacy to prevent further escalation, while Arab governments remained mostly silent, with a few Gulf states quietly signaling support for the neutralization of Iran’s nuclear threat, according to INN.

In Washington, President Trump issued a brief statement praising the operation’s “precision and purpose” and reaffirming the U.S.-Israel alliance. “Together, we made the world safer,” he posted on Truth Social.

Despite the declared success, Netanyahu acknowledged that threats to Israel’s security remain. Hamas continues to hold hostages in Gaza, Hezbollah remains armed in Lebanon, and Iran’s regional proxies remain active. But Tuesday’s address sought to cement one truth: for now, the most acute existential dangers have been vanquished.

“This operation,” Netanyahu said in his final words, “was not just a military campaign — it was a message, a roar, a declaration that the Jewish state will defend itself, by itself, and prevail.”

As Israel National News reported, the nation remains on alert but deeply proud. The war may be over for now, but the resolve forged in its fire, Netanyahu implied, will endure.