Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday issued a stern warning to Iran, asserting that there is no place in the Middle East beyond Israel's reach. This declaration came as Israel's military launched strikes against the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
"There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach," Netanyahu stated in a video message released in English. He cautioned the Iranian people that their regime is plunging the region into greater darkness and conflict.
Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant reinforced this stance, stating that operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon would persist. He emphasized that the elimination of the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was a significant but not final step. Gallant addressed soldiers deployed to the northern border, asserting that all capabilities would be utilized to ensure the safety of Israel's northern communities.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken commented on the situation, stating that the world is safer following Nasrallah's death. He described the Iran-backed Lebanese group's leader as a "brutal terrorist." Despite this, Blinken maintained that diplomacy remains the optimal path to achieving stability in the Middle East. He also pledged that the United States would continue to work urgently to secure a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.
