A damaged petrol station hit by Israeli airstrikes, in Sanaa, Yemen. File
| Photo Credit: AP

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New Delhi:

In a direct address to the people of Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a clear and forceful message on Monday. The Israeli leader’s speech, delivered in English and subtitled in Persian, conveyed both a warning to the Iranian regime and an assurance to its citizens. The message comes amidst Israel’s escalating actions against Iranian-backed groups in the Middle East.

Netanyahu condemned Iran’s leadership for allegedly prioritising regional conflicts over its own people’s welfare. “Every day, you see a regime that subjugates you make fiery speeches about defending Lebanon, defending Gaza,” Netanyahu said, adding that the Iranian government was “plunging the region deeper into darkness and deeper into war.”

Referring to Iran’s support for Hezbollah and Hamas, groups that have been engaged in violent conflicts with Israel, Netanyahu said that Iran’s proxies were being systematically targeted. “Iran’s puppets are being eliminated,” he said. adding that there was “nowhere we will not go to protect our people.”

“With every passing moment, the regime is bringing you – the noble Persian people – closer to the abyss,” he said. “The vast majority of Iranians know their regime doesn’t care a whit about them. If it did care, if it cared about you, it would stop wasting billions of dollars on futile wars across the Middle East. It would start improving your lives.

“Imagine if all the vast money the regime wasted on nuclear weapons and foreign wars were invested in your children’s education, in improving your health care, in building your nation’s infrastructure, water, sewage, all the other things that you need. Imagine that.”

Netanyahu predicted a future where Iran is free from theocratic rule, envisioning a new era of peace between Israel and Iran. He expressed confidence that change would come “a lot sooner than people think.” According to Netanyahu, a post-regime Iran would enjoy prosperity through global investments, tourism, and technological advancements. 

“When Iran is finally free – and that moment will come a lot sooner than people think – everything will be different,” he said. “Our two ancient peoples, the Jewish people and the Persian people, will finally be at peace. Our two countries, Israel and Iran, will be at peace.

“When that day comes, the terror network that the regime built in five continents will be bankrupt, dismantled. Iran will thrive as never before: Global investment; massive tourism; brilliant technological innovation based on the tremendous talents that exist inside Iran. Doesn’t that sound better than endless poverty, repression and war?”

This direct message comes in the wake of Israel’s intensified operations against Iranian proxies. Days before Netanyahu’s statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) executed a major airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah at the group’s headquarters in Beirut. The strike also reportedly took the life of a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official. Nasrallah’s death has been met with celebration by anti-regime Iranians worldwide.

“You deserve better. Your children deserve better. The entire world deserves better. I know you don’t support the rapists and murderers of Hamas and Hezbollah, but your leaders do. You deserve more. The people of Iran should know – Israel stands with you. May we together know a future of prosperity and peace,” Netanyahu added. 

Following Nasrallah’s assassination, reports surfaced that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was moved to a secure location amid fears of further Israeli action.

The tension between Israel and Iran reached new heights earlier this year when Iran launched over 300 missiles and drones at Israel in retaliation for an alleged Israeli strike in Syria that killed several high-ranking IRGC officers. The vast majority of those missiles were intercepted by Israeli defence systems, with the support of a US-led coalition. Israel responded to Iran’s actions with a limited drone strike targeting a nuclear research centre in Isfahan.

Nasrallah’s assassination also came amid Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has seen frequent cross-border attacks against Israel, allegedly in solidarity with Hamas during its ongoing war with Israel in Gaza. Israel has steadily escalated its strikes on Hezbollah targets, leading to significant losses within the group’s leadership. Earlier in the month, mysterious explosions attributed to Israel destroyed Hezbollah’s communication devices, injuring thousands and intensifying the ongoing conflict.