Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lauded the "enormous accomplishments" of a joint Israel-US military campaign against Iran, describing it as "systematically crushing" the Tehran regime. 

In a public address delivered in Hebrew on Tuesday evening, just before the Passover festival, Netanyahu emphasised that these efforts are eliminating existential threats to the Jewish state.

He predicted that the Iranian administration would collapse "sooner or later" under the pressure. At the same time, Israel is reportedly forging new alliances with key regional countries to counter the broader Iranian threat, though specific nations were not disclosed. Netanyahu hinted that more details on these "vital alliances" would soon be revealed.

Framing the conflict in biblical terms on the eve of the Festival of Freedom, Netanyahu declared Israel "stronger than ever." He portrayed the nation's actions as a "lion's roar" resounding across the world in the fight against Iran's "evil regime," where immense successes have already been secured.

The speech coincided with national mourning for four soldiers killed in ground operations in Lebanon. Netanyahu offered condolences, acknowledging the "painful costs" of these military gains while underscoring their necessity.

Marking one month since the joint campaign with the United States began, Netanyahu asserted that allied forces are dismantling the "terrorist regime" long known for its chants of "Death to America, Death to Israel." He accused the Ayatollahs of pursuing annihilation, Middle East domination, and global threats through nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and terror proxies, all sustained despite heavy sanctions.

Netanyahu claimed these endeavours have squandered nearly a trillion dollars for Iran, rendering that investment "down the drain." Invoking the Passover story of ten plagues, he detailed Israel's strikes on the "axis of evil": Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Assad regime in Syria, militants in Judea and Samaria, and the Houthis in Yemen, plus five targeted blows against Iran itself.

These Iranian strikes reportedly hit the nuclear programme, missile facilities, regime infrastructure, forces of oppression, and what Netanyahu called the "Plague of the Firstborn"—decisive action against senior leadership.

He named Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, nuclear scientists, Revolutionary Guard commanders, Basij forces, and proxies like Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh, Mohammed Deif, and Yahya Sinwar, among many others eliminated since October 2023.

According to Netanyahu, Iran now stands "weaker than ever," while Israel is at peak strength, though he stressed the campaign "is not yet over." He credited these operations with awakening global awareness of the Iranian peril, noting prior conversations with Middle Eastern, European, and US leaders—including presidents—who had failed to grasp the threat's scale.

Today, Netanyahu said, no one remains oblivious; some leaders confide their understanding privately despite fears of speaking out, while others are actively joining Israel's side. The US partnership has delivered "crushing blows" to a "shaken" Tehran government.

He specifically highlighted operations "Rising Lion" and the ongoing "Roaring Lion" as having neutralised the immediate dangers from Iran's nuclear and missile programmes overhanging Israel. This joint effort underscores a pivotal shift in regional power dynamics, with Netanyahu portraying it as a turning point against decades of Iranian aggression.

ANI