Operation was planned for April 2025, not sudden: Bibi

JERUSALEM: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Friday said the attacks were authorised over six months ago, in November 2024, and was initially scheduled for April 2025, but were postponed due to operational considerations.

In a recorded speech in Hebrew, Netanyahu provided updates about the operation to citizens. A visibly elated Netanyahu said he will try to make such statements daily. “This didn’t happen by chance or for trivial reasons – if Iran has nuclear weapons, we simply won’t be here,” he said. Netanyahu said that following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Israel made an assessment that Iran would expedite its nuclear programme, which it did.

Earlier on Friday morning, in a video message, he said Iran has reached a level of uranium enrichment that it could soon develop some nine atom bombs.

He also cautioned citizens not to be in euphoria over the success of the operation and stay calm and vigilant. He asserted that there would be retaliation and may be “a price” to pay.

Point of no return: Army chiefIsrael’s chief of staff lieutenant general Eyal Zamir, said the offensive was launched “because the time had come; we’d reached the point of no return”. “We cannot wait for another time to act, we have no choice,” Zamir said. “History has taught us… to fight to preserve our existence”.