Benjamin Netanyahu warns Iran, says no place beyond Israel's reach

Benjamin Netanyahu. Pic/AFP

Following the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a precision strike by Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to Iran's Ayatollah regime and asserted that those who target Israel will face consequences and that no location in Iran or the Middle East is beyond Israel's reach.

Netanyahu said, "If someone rises up to kill you, kill him first. Yesterday, the State of Israel eliminated the arch-murderer Hassan Nasrallah. We have settled accounts with someone who was responsible for the murders of countless Israelis and many nationals of other countries, including hundreds of Americans and dozens of French."

He called Nasrallah as "main engine of Iran's axis of evil" and added, "Nasrallah was not just another terrorist, he was the terrorist. He was the axis of the axis, the main engine of Iran's axis of evil. He and his people were the architects of the plan to destroy Israel. He was not only operated by Iran, he also frequently operated Iran."

He further said, "All those who oppose the axis of evil, all those who are fighting under the violent dictatorship of Iran and its proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Iran itself and other places, they are all filled with hope today. I say to the citizens of those countries: Israel stands with you. And to the ayatollahs' regime I say: Those who strike us, we strike them. There is no place in Iran or the Middle East that the long arm of Israel cannot reach. Today, you already know that this is correct."

Netanyahu emphasised that the killing of Hassan Nasrallah was crucial in achieving the goal of returning Israeli hostages. "The elimination of Nasrallah is a necessary condition in achieving the objectives we have set: Returning the residents of the north safely to their homes, and changing the balance of power in the region for years."

He added, "As long as Nasrallah was alive, he would have quickly rebuilt the capabilities we took from Hezbollah. His elimination advances the return of our residents to their homes in the north. It also advances the return of our hostages in the south." He also expressed his gratitude to the defence forces of the country and said, "I would like to thank the IDF, the Air Force, IDF Intelligence, the Mossad and the ISA for the great achievements, and not just yesterday."

Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel's commitment to defending its citizens, ensuring the safe return of residents to their homes and securing the release of all hostages. "We are determined to continue striking our enemies, to return our residents to their homes, and to return all of our hostages. We do not forget them even for a moment," he said.

Notably, a day before, IDF confirmed the killing of Hassan Nasrallah in the airstrikes carried out by the Israeli military in Beirut. In a statement, the IDF said, "Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world." Nasrallah was targeted at Hezbollah's main headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh, on Friday. The headquarters is underground, beneath residential buildings in the Dahiyeh, according to the IDF.

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