‘Excellent’: Trump lauds Israeli strikes on Iran
Country bracing for retaliation after 100 drones were launched at Israel from Iran, with airspace closed for arrivals and departures
UPDATE 11:59pm AEST
‘Excellent’: Trump lauds Israeli strikes on Iran, says Tehran can still make a deal
By TOI staff
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the Israeli strikes on nuclear and military targets in Iran were “excellent” and warned there was much more to come, in a phone interview with ABC News.
“I think it’s been excellent. We gave them a chance, and they didn’t take it. They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you’re going to get hit. And there’s more to come. A lot more,” Trump said.
ABC News said that the US president refused to comment on whether there was American participation in the strikes.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Two months ago I gave Iran a 60-day ultimatum to ‘make a deal.’ They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!”
In an earlier post, Trump said: “There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end.”
He urged Iran “to make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire.”
UPDATE 11:30pm AEST
Israel successfully deceived top Iran air force commanders into convening ahead of strike
By Stav Levaton
A senior Israeli security official told Fox News that Israel successfully deceived top commanders of Iran’s air force into gathering ahead of a targeted strike on an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps underground command center — an attack Defense Minister Israel Katz said eliminated most of the IRGC’s air force leadership.
“We carried out specific activities to help us learn more about them, and then used that information to influence their behavior,” the official said. “We knew this would lead them to meet, but more importantly, we knew how to keep them there.”
According to the official, the strike was even more effective than expected, with Israeli forces also taking out air defense systems and ballistic missiles believed to be intended for use against Israel.
UPDATE 11:25pm AEST
Trump says US was read in on Israel’s attack on Iran
By AFP and ToI Staff
US President Donald Trump, right, shakes the hand of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House, April 7, 2025, in Washington. (Pool via AP)
US President Donald Trump says he and his aides were read in on Israel’s plans to attack Iran.
Asked whether Israel gave the US a heads-up on its attack, Trump tells The Wall Street Journal, “Heads-up? It wasn’t a heads-up. It was, we know what’s going on.”
Trump says he spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday and will hold another call with him on Friday.He calls Israel’s attack on Iran “a very successful attack, to put it mildly.”
“I told the other side, I said, you have 60 days to make the deal. On the 61st day, they attacked. Today is 61 actually, and it was a very successful attack,” Trump tells WSJ.
“They should have made a deal and they still can make a deal while they have something left — they still can,” he adds.
Asked what effect the Israeli attack might have on the economy, Trump responds, “I think ultimately, it would be great for the market because Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. It will be great for the market — should be the greatest thing ever for the market. Iran won’t have a nuclear weapon that was a great threat to humanity.”
UPDATE 4:33pm AEST
Air force jets begin shooting down drones launched from Iran, outside Israel’s borders
By Emanuel Fabian
Israeli Air Force fighter jets have begun to shoot down the drones launched at Israel from Iran earlier this morning.
The drones are being intercepted outside of Israel’s borders, a military official says.
Those that are not intercepted early are expected to reach Israel within an hour or so.
UPDATE 4:33pm AEST
Health Ministry, IDF instruct all hospitals to move medical services to protected areas
By Diana Bletter
The Health Ministry and the Home Front Command instruct all hospitals to move their services to protected areas and underground facilities.
The ministry asks the public to avoid coming to hospitals in non-urgent cases.
Medical centres and health clinics say they have cancelled all non-urgent medical care.
UPDATE 4:16pm AEST
Iranian drones may begin to reach Israel within 1-2 hours if not intercepted en route
By Emanuel Fabian
Drones launched by Iran are expected to reach Israel in the coming hours.
The IDF said earlier that over 100 drones were launched from Iran toward Israel, and the Israeli Air Force was working to intercept them.
Such drones generally take up to seven hours to reach Israel from Iran.
Several drones were spotted over Iraq an hour ago, meaning they are likely to arrive at Israel within the next couple of hours, if they are not shot down earlier by the IAF.
UPDATE 3.55pm AEST
IDF says it believes additional senior Iranian officials killed in strikes
By Emanuel Fabian
The Israeli military says it believes there are additional senior Iranian officials killed in this morning’s strikes in Iran.
Earlier, the IDF confirmed that it killed Iran’s military commander, Mohammad Bagheri; IRGC chief Hossein Salami; and head of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, Gholam Ali Rashid.
UPDATE 3.48pm AEST
Jordan closes airspace amid Israeli strikes on Iran
By AFP and ToI Staff
Jordan’s aviation authority announces the closure of its airspace and grounds all flights after Israel carried out strikes on nuclear and military targets in Iran.
“The kingdom’s airspace is temporarily closed, and air traffic suspended for all aircraft — incoming, outgoing and in transit, as a precaution against any risks resulting from the regional escalation,” the authority says in a statement.
The Israel Defence Forces has said Iran has launched over 100 drones at Israel in the past hours.
UPDATE 3.45pm AEST
National Security Council warns Israelis abroad to take enhanced precautions
By Lazar Berman
The National Security Council warns Israelis abroad to take enhanced precautions in light of Israel’s operation against Iran.
Terrorists may try to target Israelis and Jews around the world in an act of revenge, says the NSC in a statement.
Israelis abroad are asked to avoid displaying Jewish and Israeli symbols, posting their whereabouts on social media, and attending large-scale events connected to Israel or Judaism.
UPDATE 3.42pm AEST
Tel Aviv confirms Pride parade cancelled
The Tel Aviv Municipality confirms that the Pride parade set to take place today has been cancelled after Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets, with Tehran expected to respond in the coming hours.
The march, the largest such event in the Middle East, had been expected to draw thousands to the famously open city, including guest of honour Caitlyn Jenner.
It was to have been Tel Aviv’s first Pride parade since before October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel killing some 1200 people and take 251 hostages, sparking the war in Gaza.
UPDATE 3.20pm AEST
IAEA, citing information from Iran: No increase in radiation levels at targeted Natanz site
By Agencies
The International Atomic Energy Agency says there is no increase in radiation levels at the Natanz nuclear site that was targeted in Israeli strikes, citing information given to them by Iranian authorities.
The international atomic energy watchdog also adds that the Bushehr nuclear power plant was not targeted during the attack.
UPDATE 3.07pm AEST
Saudi Arabia condemns ‘blatant Israeli aggressions’ against Iran
By AFP
Saudi Arabia condemns Israel’s strikes against nuclear and military targets in Iran.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the blatant Israeli aggressions against the brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran, which undermine its sovereignty and security and constitute a clear violation of international laws and norms,” the foreign ministry says in a statement.
UPDATE 3.01pm AEST
Over 100 drones launched by Iran at Israel in last few hours, IDF working to shoot them down
By Emanuel Fabian
Over 100 drones were launched by Iran at Israel in the last few hours, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says.
He says the IDF is working to shoot them down.
The drones launched from Iran will take several hours to reach Israel.
UPDATE 2.59pm AEST
IDF: 200 aircraft involved in opening strikes on Iran, with several top officials killed
By Emanuel Fabian
Over 200 Israeli Air Force aircraft were involved in the opening strikes on Iran early this morning, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says in a press conference.
He says fighter jets dropped over 330 munitions in the strikes.
Defrin also confirms that Israel killed several top Iranian officials in the strikes, including Iran’s military commander Mohammad Bagheri, IRGC chief Hossein Salami, and head of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, Gholam Ali Rashid.
Other officials were also killed, he adds.
UPDATE 2.28pm AEST
US working to rebuild regional coalition but some Iranian missiles expected to get through, Israeli official says
By Lazar Berman
The United States has known about the planned operation for at least a week, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
Israel and the US are “continuously involved,” says the official.
The Americans are working to rebuild the regional coalition that confronted the previous Iranian attacks on Israel.
Israel expects some Iranian missiles to get through, says the official.
Shas leader Aryeh Deri was informed that the strike was going to happen, and that it is not the time to dissolve the government, the official adds.
The opposition leaders were not updated ahead of time.
UPDATE 2.14pm AEST
Herzog: Israel’s Iran strikes to ‘neutralize an immediate, existential threat to our people’
By Lazar Berman
Israel embarked on an operation to “neutralize an immediate and existential threat to our people,” says President Isaac Herzog.
“The Iranian regime — at the helm of a global terror empire — has continued to radicalize and destabilize the region with its proxies, while working relentlessly to advance its military nuclear capabilities, and expand its ballistic missile arsenal,” he writes on X.
Herzog says that Iranian leaders “have made no secret of their openly repeated intention to annihilate the State of Israel. For years, the regime has prepared to turn that vision into reality.”
He stresses Israel’s “inherent right and the solemn duty to defend itself, and will always do so with determination and clarity.”
UPDATE 2.13pm AEST
US official says Washington still hopes to hold nuclear talks with Iran on Sunday
By AFP
The United States still hopes to hold talks Sunday with Iran, even after Israel launched a massive wave of strikes against nuclear and military targets in the Islamic Republic, a US official says.
“We still intend to have talks Sunday,” the official tells AFP on condition of anonymity.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
UPDATE 2.03pm AEST
Netanyahu: Israel’s surprise opening strike on Iran was ‘very successful’
By Lazar Berman
Israel’s surprise opening strike on Iran was “very successful,” says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We struck the senior command, we struck senior scientists that advance development of nuclear weapons, we struck nuclear installations,” he says in a video statement, sitting alongside Defense Minister Israel Katz, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Shas party chief Aryeh Deri and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
“We are racking up achievements,” he continues, “but I know, and you know, there are no easy wars.”
Israelis may well have to spend “far longer periods in shelters than we were accustomed to until now.”
UPDATE 1.26pm AEST
Israel has so far carried out 5 waves of strikes in Iran, military official says
By Emanuel Fabian
The Israeli Air Force has so far carried out five waves of strikes in Iran, a military official tells The Times of Israel.
Hundreds of strikes have been carried out in total, the official says.
The IDF said earlier it was striking Iranian nuclear sites, military sites, and top military and nuclear officials.
UPDATE 1.24pm AEST
Report: Iran’s military chief Bagheri killed in Israeli strike
By Emanuel Fabian
The chief of Iran’s military, Mohammad Bagheri, was killed in an Israeli strike, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reports.
The report is not yet confirmed by other media in the country.
UPDATE 1.19pm AEST
IDF: Iran has been secretly advancing plan for ‘all parts of the development of a nuclear weapon’
By Emanuel Fabian
Iran has been secretly advancing a plan for the “technological advancement of all parts of the development of a nuclear weapon,” the Israeli military says, after launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“In recent months, accumulated intelligence information has provided evidence that the Iranian regime is approaching the point of no return,” the IDF says in a statement.
“The convergence of the Iranian regime’s efforts to produce thousands of kilograms of enriched uranium, alongside decentralized and fortified enrichment compounds in underground facilities, enables the Iranian regime to enrich uranium to military-grade levels, enabling the regime to obtain a nuclear weapon within a short period of time,” the military says.
It says that “in the framework of this plan, senior nuclear scientists in Iran have been working to secretly develop all components needed for developing a nuclear weapon.”
“In recent months, this program has accelerated significantly, bringing the regime significantly closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon. This is clear evidence that the Iranian regime is operating to obtain a nuclear weapon,” the military says.
“The State of Israel has been left with no choice. The IDF has the obligation to act in defense of the civilians of Israel and will continue to do so,” the IDF adds.
UPDATE 1.17pm AEST
Iran’s Khamenei: Israel will face a ‘bitter and painful fate’ for strikes
By Agencies
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Israel will face a “severe punishment” over its strikes on the country.
Khamenei issues a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency. It confirms that top military officials and scientists had been killed in the strikes that also targeted nuclear and military sites.
Israel “opened its wicked and blood-stained hand to a crime in our beloved country, revealing its malicious nature more than ever by striking residential centers,” Khamenei says.
“With this crime, the Zionist regime has set itself for a bitter and painful fate and it will definitely receive it,” Khamenei says.
UPDATE 1.00pm AEST
Israeli strikes on Iran enabled by ‘breakthrough intelligence,’ says senior IDF official
By Emanuel Fabian
The Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, military sites, and top military and nuclear officials were enabled by “breakthrough intelligence” obtained by the Military Intelligence Directorate in the past year, a senior IDF official says.
The official says dedicated units were established in the Israeli Air Force and Intelligence Directorate in the past year, “focused on Iran and preparations for a large-scale strike.”
Following Israel’s strike on Iran in October, “the Intelligence Directorate carried out an unprecedented concentration of efforts to build an opening blow against senior Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists,” the official adds.
UPDATE 12.47pm AEST
Hospitals prepare themselves for wartime footing
By Diana Bletter
Rambam Medical Center in Haifa says its underground parking lot has been closed to vehicles as part of the state of emergency in the country. The emergency room is open, but the public is urged not to come in unless cases are medically necessary.
Also in Haifa, Bnei Zion Medical Center reports that it has begun transferring departments to a protected building and designated areas. The hospital is preparing to release patients who do not require hospitalisation to their homes or institutions for continued hospitalisation.
UPDATE 12.42pm AEST
New explosion heard at key nuclear site Natanz, Iranian state media says
By AFP
A new explosion was heard at a key uranium enrichment site in central Iran, state television reports, after Israel launched airstrikes against the Islamic Republic.
“New explosion heard at Natanz uranium enrichment facility” in Isfahan province, the broadcaster reports, showing thick black smoke rising from the facility.
UPDATE 12.31pm AEST
Defense minister: We dealt with Iran’s proxies; now we’re dealing with the head of the snake
By Emanuel Fabian
Speaking to the IDF’s top brass ahead of the strikes on Iran, Defense Minister Israel Katz says the military developed “exceptional capabilities” for the operation.
“Upon taking office, I defined the thwarting of Iran’s nuclear ambitions as a top priority,” Katz says.
“Iran is more determined than ever to realize its vision of destroying Israel. We are at a critical juncture; if we miss it, we will have no way to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons that threaten our existence,” he says.
“We have dealt with Iran’s proxies over the past year and a half, but now we are dealing with the head of the snake itself,” Katz continues.
“Over the years, and especially in recent months, the IDF has built exceptional capabilities in intelligence and operations, both defensive and offensive, which enable us to effectively confront the major challenges we face,” he adds.
UPDATE 12.24pm AEST
Key uranium enrichment site in Natanz ‘hit several times,’ Iranian state media says
By Agencies
Israel’s attack on Iran hit a key uranium enrichment facility in the country’s centre multiple times, Iranian state TV reports.
The “Natanz enrichment facility has been hit several times,” state TV reported, showing footage of heavy smoke billowing from the site.
The extent of the damage is unclear — Iranian state television only briefly showed the live picture with a reporter.
Natanz is partially above ground, partially below ground, with multiple halls of centrifuges spinning uranium gas for its nuclear program.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier that Israel targeted the site in this morning’s strikes. Natanz previously has been targeted by the Stuxnet cyberattack, and multiple sabotage campaigns widely attributed to Israel.
UPDATE 12.22pm AEST
IDF boosting troops, raising alert level along borders and in West Bank
By Emanuel Fabian
Amid the Israeli airstrikes on Iran, the IDF is bolstering troops and is raising its level of alert along Israel’s borders and in the West Bank, the military says.
In the West Bank, all Palestinian towns are under lockdown until further notice.
In the north, the IDF says it is mobilising troops to be ready to defend or attack if needed.
UPDATE 12.15pm AEST
IDF chief: A time of difficult decisions; we’ve long prepared for this
By Emanuel Fabian
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says the military is “mobilizing tens of thousands of soldiers and preparing across all borders.”
“I warn that anyone who tries to challenge us will pay a heavy price,” he says.
“It is necessary at this time to make difficult decisions, and be confident that all the decisions made are taken with a view of the gravity of the situation. People of Israel, I can’t promise absolute success. The Iranian regime will attempt to attack us in response. The expected cost will be different from what we are used to,” Zamir says.
“We have been preparing this operation for a long time; unprecedented efforts have been made across all branches and directorates to achieve readiness against the tangible and present threat,” he adds.
UPDATE 12.14pm AEST
Iran state media names two nuclear scientists killed in Israeli strike
By Reuters and ToI Staff
Iran’s state TV says nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi were killed in an Israeli strike earlier this morning.
Israel has said it believes a number of members of the military’s top brass and senior nuclear scientists were killed in the IDF’s opening strikes on Iran.
UPDATE 11.56am AEST
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard commander Hossein Salami killed in Israeli strike, says Iranian state media
By Agencies
Iranian state media confirms the killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Hossein Salami in an Israeli strike.
“Major General Hossein Salami, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was martyred in the Israeli regime’s attack on the IRGC headquarters,” the local Tasnim news agency reports.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is one of the main power centers within the country’s theocracy. It also controls Iran’s arsenal of ballistic missiles.
In addition to Salami, Israel believes the chief of Iran’s military, Mohammad Bagheri, other members of the military’s top brass, and senior nuclear scientists were eliminated in the IDF’s opening strikes on Iran.
UPDATE 11.50am AEST
Report: Mossad carried out covert sabotage operations against Iranian air defenses, long-range missiles
The Mossad carried out a series of covert sabotage operations against Iranian air defenses and missile facilities in tandem with the widespread strikes at a number of locations across Iran.
“A senior Israeli official told me that other than airstrikes, the Israeli Mossad, the foreign intelligence agency, conducted several operations inside Iran against Iranian air defenses and against Iranian long-range missiles,” Axios reporter Barak Ravid tells CNN.
On X, Ravid describes them as “covert sabotage operations deep inside Iran.”
Dozens of targets across Iran related to the nuclear program, military facilities and military commanders have been struck by the Israeli Air Force. Israel is now bracing for the expected response from Tehran.
UPDATE 11.42am AEST
Defense official: If strike succeeded, we did to Iran in 10 minutes what we did to Hezbollah in 10 days
An unnamed defense official tells Army Radio: “The opening strike included air defense targets, [strikes on] surface-to-surface missiles, and a wide wave of senior Iranian officials being neutralized, timed with great precision — simultaneously hitting the Iranian General Staff and nuclear scientists across Iran.”
He adds: “If this opening strike succeeded — then what we did to senior Hezbollah officials over 10 days — we did to Iran in 10 minutes.”
UPDATE 11.28am AEST
Explosions heard in Natanz, home to key nuclear site, says Iranian state television
Blasts were heard in Natanz city in Iran’s central province of Isfahan, where a key nuclear site is located, Iranian state TV reports.
“Loud explosions were heard in Natanz,” which hosts one of the main uranium enrichment facilities, state TV reports.
Iran has two underground nuclear sites, at Fordo and Natanz, and has been building tunnels in the mountains near Natanz since suspected Israeli sabotage attacks targeted that facility.
A complex at the heart of Iran’s enrichment program on a plain abutting mountains outside the Shi’ite Muslim holy city of Qom, south of Tehran. Natanz houses facilities including two enrichment plants: the vast, underground Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) and the above-ground Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP).
An exiled Iranian opposition group revealed in 2002 that Iran was secretly building Natanz, igniting the diplomatic standoff between the West and Iran over its nuclear intentions.
The FEP was built for enrichment on a commercial scale, able to house 50,000 centrifuges. Around 14,000 centrifuges are currently installed there, roughly 11,000 of which are in operation, refining uranium to up to 5% purity.
Diplomats with knowledge of Natanz describe the FEP as being about three floors below ground. There has long been debate about how much damage Israeli airstrikes could do to it.
Damage has been done to centrifuges at the FEP by other means, including an explosion and power cut in April 2021 that Iran said was an attack by Israel.
The above-ground PFEP houses only a few hundred centrifuges, but Iran is enriching to up to 60% purity there.
UPDATE 11.24am AEST
Netanyahu thanks Trump for support; tells Iranians ‘your liberation from tyranny is closer than ever’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanks US President Donald Trump “for his steadfast stance.”
“Time and again, he made it clear: Iran must never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons,” says Netanyahu in his video statement.
“I thank him for his consistent support of our country throughout all the years of his presidency.”
Netanyahu addresses the Iranian people directly: “We do not hate you. You are not our enemies. We have a common enemy: a tyrannical regime that tramples you.”
“For nearly fifty years, this regime has robbed you of the chance for a good life,” says Netanyahu. “I have no doubt that your day of liberation from this tyranny is closer than ever. And when that day comes, Israelis and Iranians will renew the alliance between our two ancient peoples. Together, we will build a future of prosperity, a future of peace, a future of hope.”
Netanyahu argues that Israel is defending the Middle East and Israel’s regional partners.
“We are defending the free world from the terrorism and barbarism that Iran fosters and exports across the globe,” he continues. “Many around the world — even if they won’t say so openly — know in their hearts: thanks to your determination and courage, citizens of Israel, and thanks to the bravery of Israel’s fighters, the world will be a safer place.”
UPDATE 11.18am AEST
Israeli official: Increasingly likely Iran’s army chief and top nuclear scientists eliminated
By Emanuel Fabian
Israel believes the chief of Iran’s military, Mohammad Bagheri, other members of the military’s top brass, and senior nuclear scientists were eliminated in the IDF’s opening strikes on Iran, a defense official says.
The likelihood of their deaths are “increasing,” the official says.
ORIGINAL UPDATE:
Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz has declared an emergency situation across the country due to Israel’s action in Iran.
“Following the State of Israel’s preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future,” Katz said.
He said he has signed “a special order, according to which a special state of emergency will be imposed in the home front throughout the entire State of Israel.”
“You must obey the instructions of the Home Front Command and the authorities and remain in the protected areas,” Katz added.
The IDF has confirmed it has launched an aerial campaign against Iran’s nuclear program.
Dozens of targets across Iran related to the nuclear program and other military facilities are being struck by the Israeli Air Force. The operation is dubbed “Nation of Lions.”
The IDF said Iran has enough enriched uranium to build several bombs within days, and it needs to act against this “imminent threat.”
Sirens that sounded across Israel a short while ago were a preemptive warning issued by the IDF, ahead of a possible reaction by Iran.
Israel is at a “decisive point” in its history, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video address.
“Our brave pilots are attacking a large number of targets across Iran,” he said. The goal of the operation, says Netanyahu, is “to strike Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, Iran’s ballistic missile factories, and Iran’s military capabilities.”
The operation will continue as long as is needed, he said, until the mission is completed. He warned that Iran “has significant capabilities to harm us.”
“We prepared for that as well,” he said.
Netanyahu asked the public to cooperate with instructions from the Home Front Command, which save lives.
He emphasised that Iran has enriched enough uranium for nine nuclear bombs, and says that in recent months it took unprecedented steps toward weaponisation. “These steps moved Iran closer to achieving a nuclear weapons within a short amount of time,” he said.
Iran has also built “a massive store” of ballistic missiles, he continued. “These missiles reach Israel from Iran within minutes. Each one carries a ton of explosives.”
Iran planned to produce 20,000 such missiles within six years, he said.
“Therefore we are operating to remove [them] as well,” Netanyahu said. “We can’t leave these threats for the next generation,” he continued. “Because if we don’t act now, there will not be another generation. If we don’t act now, we simply won’t be here.”
“‘Never Again’ is now,” he said, using the cry that emerged from the Holocaust.
“We have internalised the lessons of history,” he said. “When an enemy says he intends to destroy you — believe him. When the enemy develops the capabilities to destroy you — stop him.”
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said Israel has an ongoing dialogue with the United States, but its determination to strike Iran was an independent Israeli decision. Asked in a CNN interview if Israel expected the US to assist Israel in case of an Iranian response, Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said: “Don’t think we should go into speculation.”
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