In his address, Prime Minister Netanyahu presents the two-week U.S.–Iran ceasefire as a temporary pause, not the end of the campaign, stressing that Israel significantly weakened Iran’s military, nuclear, and economic capabilities while strengthening its alliance with the United States. He says Iran entered talks battered and without preconditions, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and emphasizes that Israel remains ready to resume fighting if necessary to complete its objectives.
The following is the full text of the statement.
Citizens of Israel, I want to thank you, our wonderful nation.
While you demonstrated resilience sitting in the secure rooms and shelters, together we achieved immense accomplishments: Our fighters at the front and you on the home front.
But before all else, I wish to bow my head in memory of our loved ones who fell in this campaign.
I wish to embrace the bereaved families and, on behalf of all of you, send wishes for a speedy recovery to our wounded loved ones.
My brothers and sisters, the State of Israel has achieved immense accomplishments, achievements that until recently seemed completely imaginary.
Iran is weaker than ever, and Israel is stronger than ever. This is the bottom line of this campaign, up to this moment.
And I wish to clarify: We still have goals to complete, and we will achieve them either by agreement or by the resumption of fighting.
We are prepared to return to combat at any necessary moment. Our finger is on the trigger.
As you know, a two-week temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran went into effect tonight, in full coordination with Israel. No, they did not surprise us at the last minute. Now, I want to emphasize, this is not the end of the campaign. This is a way station on the way to achieving all of our goals.
Iran enters negotiations battered and weaker than ever. It has committed to opening the Strait of Hormuz after waiving all of its preconditions.
It waived the cancellation of sanctions, receiving reparations, a final end to the war, and also a ceasefire in Lebanon.
While Iran is weaker than ever, Israel is as strong as it has ever been.
Six weeks ago, for the first time in history, we went to war shoulder-to-shoulder with my friend President Trump and our great ally, the United States.
We set out on a historic operation, the largest operation the Middle East has ever known. Nothing like this has ever happened in the history of Israel.
A partnership like this between Israel and the US against our greatest enemy has also never existed in Israel's history. And yes, I can reassure those worried about the relationship between myself and President Trump. As he said: 'You are great.' We speak every day, and we smile when we hear these assessments.
In any case, anyone who chooses to ignore the power of this partnership is simply ignoring the truth.
As US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said today, the appreciation for Israel as an ally on the battlefield, appreciation for our heroism, courage and skill, this appreciation is soaring.
President Trump, Donald my friend, I want to thank you for your leadership and your friendship. The deep friendship between us, the deep friendship between the US and Israel, is changing the face of the Middle East.
We went out together to remove an existential threat from over the State of Israel and the entire free world, and we are carrying out that mission. We are carrying it out it step by step, goal after goal.
If we hadn't set out on Operation Rising Lion, and then if we hadn't set out on Operation Roaring Lion, Iran would have long ago had nuclear weapons, and Iran would have had many thousands of missiles to destroy Israel and threaten the existence of us all.
We have removed this double existential threat from over our heads. We have set the terrorist regime in Iran back many years. We have shaken its foundations. We have crushed it.
What we have achieved up to now:
We smashed Iran's missile production machine. Not only did we destroy existing missiles, we destroyed the factories that produce them. The Iranians are firing what is left in their arsenal, and the arsenal is emptying out. But they are not producing new missiles.
We have severely damaged Iran's nuclear program. We destroyed many nuclear infrastructures, centrifuge plants, and one more thing, we eliminated more nuclear scientists who joined those we eliminated in Operation Rising Lion.
Regarding the enriched material still remaining in Iran: As senior Trump administration officials said today, all the enriched material will leave Iran. Either it will leave by agreement, or it will leave by the resumption of fighting. We see eye-to-eye on this matter
We have smashed the money machine and the weapon production machine of the Revolutionary Guards. We destroyed steel plants, petrochemical plants, weapon manufacturing plants, bridges, and railways for the transport of forces and weapons.
We have destroyed military infrastructure: The Iranian Navy, dozens of aircraft, missile bases, and headquarters.
We have severely damaged the regime’s mechanism of oppression. We eliminated thousands of its operatives and proved that we can hunt them down anywhere. They have nowhere to hide.
We eliminated senior regime officials, from the tyrant Khamenei to the top brass of the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij.
As a result of Israel’s determination and strength, strength and determination that everyone in the Middle East sees, we are creating new alliances with countries in the region.
I insisted that the temporary ceasefire with Iran not include Hezbollah. And we continue to strike them forcefully.
Today we dealt Hezbollah the greatest blow it has suffered since the pagers. We attacked 100 targets in 10 minutes, in places Hezbollah was certain were immune.
Wonderful residents of the North, we are committed to returning security to you.
We have created deep security zones beyond our borders, in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, where we control more than half of the Strip and are choking Hamas from every side.
Citizens of Israel, anyone who tries to ignore these monumental achievements, monumental achievements of the State of Israel and IDF soldiers; anyone who tries to diminish them, either they do not know what they are talking about, or they are speaking out of foreign interests.
Because the truth is simple: As I promised you at the beginning of the War of Redemption, we have dramatically changed the face of the Middle East in Israel's favor, and we will continue to do so.
Because we are the side that takes the initiative, we are the side that fights, and with God’s help, we are the side that wins.
Happy Maimouna holiday, citizens of Israel, a holiday of Israeli unity. May you prosper and find favor.
Source: Israel Prime Minister’s Office.