Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday mounted a forceful defence of the joint military campaign launched by Israel and the United States against Iran, calling it a necessary step to protect both nations and the wider world.
Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu described the operation, known as “Operation Epic Fury” or “Roaring Lion,” as a response to what he termed “theological thuggery.” He accused Tehran of decades of hostility toward Washington.
"Iran for 47 years has been chanting death to America," Netanyahu said in the interview. "They bombed your embassies. They tried to assassinate Donald Trump, the President of the United States, twice. They murdered their own people, they massacred so many. And they spread a worldwide web of terror. This is a regime committed to destroying the United States of America," he added.
Defending the broader objective of the offensive, Netanyahu said, “It’s not a terrible thing to protect humanity, to protect America, to protect Israel, to protect the free world,” while alleging that Iran’s leadership had consistently exported violence and instability.
He argued that the decision to strike at this moment was driven by urgency. “The reason that we had to act now is that they were. After we hit their nuclear sites and their ballistic missile program, you’d think they learned a lesson, but they didn’t because they’re unreformable. They’re totally fanatical about this, about the goal of destroying America. So they started building new sites, new places, underground bunkers that would make their ballistic missile program and their atomic bomb program immune within months. If no action was taken now, no action could be taken in the future. And then they could target America. They could blackmail America. They could threaten us and threaten everyone in between. So action had to be taken. And you needed a resolute president like Donald J. Trump to take that action,” Netanyahu said.
He also praised Donald Trump for his leadership. “There’s never been a President like Donald J. Trump,” Netanyahu said, adding, “Amazing things happen when we work together. This would not have happened without the leadership of President Trump. I met Trump at Mar-a-Lago just before he was re-elected. The first thing he told me was that we must prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. He said this because he saw it as a clear threat to the security of the United States."
Despite the escalation, Netanyahu insisted the campaign would not become prolonged. “This is not an endless war, this is a gateway to peace,” he said.
US Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that Trump authorised the strikes to protect American national security and to ensure Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.
In a video address to US forces, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth described the moment as a “generational turning point” and reiterated the administration’s message of “peace through strength.”
Meanwhile, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Danny Danon, met US First Lady Melania Trump ahead of a United Nations Security Council session, underscoring what officials described as the strength of the US Israel alliance.
Trump also posted on Truth Social, criticising domestic political opponents over their response to the strikes.
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