Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu extended warm birthday wishes to President Donald Trump, hailing him as an “extraordinary leader” and a steadfast ally to Israel, while delivering a forceful address that underscored the growing pressure on Iran’s leadership, stressing that Israel believes “senior leaders” in the regime are already “packing their bags” as Israel intensifies its military operations.
On Saturday, in an official statement, Netanyahu highlighted the urgent need for Israel’s ongoing military actions, emphasizing the threat posed by Iran’s leadership. He praised the unwavering support of President Trump, stating, “What you’re doing now, helping protect Israeli lives against the criminal regime in Iran,” is a crucial component in countering Tehran’s aggression. Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to securing stability in the Middle East and ensuring the protection of free societies against Iran’s escalating hostility.
The prime minister praised the United States Army on its 250th anniversary, acknowledging its critical role securing and protecting freedom around the world. But his message quickly turned to the escalating conflict with Iran. “By defending ourselves, we’re also defending others,” he asserted. “We’re defending our Arab neighbors, our Arab friends in peace, we’re defending Europe, we’re helping defend also the United States.”
Netanyahu stressed the broader stakes of Israel’s fight, underscoring the urgent threat posed by Iran’s ambitions. “Today, Israel is defending freedom in the Middle East and beyond,” he said. “We’re doing so against a tyrannical and radical Iranian regime that wants to build atomic bombs to destroy us and wants to build ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, to be able to threaten anyone and everywhere in the world.”
Netanyahu reminded the world of Iran’s long history of hostility, citing its numerous attacks—including attempted assassinations of Trump and bombings of American embassies. “They burn the American flag, they chant endlessly ‘death to America,’” he reminded his listeners.
He then made clear the shared threat posed by the Iranian regime, emphasizing the global stakes in Israel’s fight. “Our enemy is your enemy. And by doing what we’re doing, we’re dealing with something that will threaten all of us sooner or later.”
Netanyahu outlined Israel’s strategic approach to securing victory against Iran’s escalating threats, emphasizing the decisive actions taken thus far.
Signaling Israel’s ongoing commitment to dismantling Iran’s nuclear ambitions and broader regional aggression, he explained:
How do we intend to achieve that victory? Well, we’ve already done great things. We’ve taken out their senior military leadership. We’ve taken out their senior technologists who are leading the race to build atomic weapons that would threaten us, but not only us. We’ve done all that and many other things, but we are also aware of the fact that there’s more to be done.
As the Israeli military escalates operations against Iranian aggression, Netanyahu hinted at the seismic impact of Israel’s efforts. “We paved the way to Tehran and our pilots over the skies of Tehran will deal blows to the Ayatollah regime that they cannot even imagine,” he revealed.
Netanyahu emphasized the shift in Iran’s internal posture as Israel’s military pressure mounts. “I can tell you this, we have indications that senior leaders in Iran are already packing their bags. They sense what’s coming.”
He then underscored the grave threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions, exposing a chilling reality. “I’ll tell you what would have come if we hadn’t acted. We had information that this unscrupulous regime was planning to give the nuclear weapons that they would develop to their terrorist proxies. That’s nuclear terrorism on steroids. That would threaten the entire world.”
Framing Israel’s battle as one that protects not just his own nation but the broader world, Netanyahu declared, “Our victory will be your victory.”
With “the clear support” of President Trump and the American people, Netanyahu vowed, Israel would triumph against Iran’s ambitions, concluding with a resolute statement: “With God’s help and with the goodwill and resolution of all free societies, we shall win.”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.