Operation
Rising
Lion: Address to the Nation Announcing
Cessation of 12-Day Military Campaign in Iran
delivered 25
June 2025
Dear
Citizens of Israel,
In the 12 days of
Operation Rising Lion, we achieved a historic victory, which
will stand for generations.
We removed two existential threats: The threat of annihilation by nuclear
weapons and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles. Had we not
acted now, the State of Israel would have soon faced the danger of annihilation.
But this did not happen because at the decisive moment, we rose up and stood
like lions, and our roar shook Tehran and echoed around the world.
In the Scriptures, it is said: "By stratagems shall you make war."1
The surprise opening blow of Rising Lion will go down in the annals of Israel's
wars and will be studied by every military in the world. In one strike, in one
blow, we eliminated Iran's senior command, including three chiefs-of-staff and
many other senior officers. And in those same moments, we eliminated Iran's
leading nuclear scientists -- those who held the knowledge, led the nuclear
program and sought to bring upon us destruction and death.
We destroyed the main enrichment facility in Natanz, the uranium conversion
plant in Isfahan and the heavy water installation in Arak. Our friend, President
Trump, stood alongside us in an unprecedented manner. On his order, the U.S.
military destroyed the enrichment facility deep underground at Fordo.
We attacked dozens of installations of the Iranian nuclear program, including
laboratories and factories for producing centrifuges. You certainly remember
seven years ago, how in a brilliant Mossad operation, we brought to Israel the
heart of Iran's secret nuclear archive. We revealed Iran's secret nuclear
program for the annihilation of the State of Israel to President Trump, to the
entire world and to you, citizens of Israel.
Indeed, today, now, in this operation, we completed the work and struck the
entire archive. This archive concentrated within it Iran's overall knowledge for
producing atomic bombs. We also did this.
For decades, I have promised you that Iran would not have nuclear weapons. And
indeed, in all of the swift actions that our soldiers carried out, we sent
Iran's nuclear project to oblivion. And if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild this
project -- we will act with the same determination and the same force to cut off
any such attempt. I reiterate: Iran will not have nuclear weapons.
With the same force and determination, we destroyed Iran's industry for
producing ballistic missiles. We destroyed dozens of missile production
factories. We struck hard at their stock of missiles. We destroyed most of their
launchers. In many cases, we destroyed them minutes before they could launch
their missiles of death at Israel. Iran's malicious intention, to threaten --
within a few years -- the existence of Israel with tens of thousands of ballistic
missiles -- this threat has also been removed.
Regarding the Iranian regime, we struck crushing blows at this wicked regime. We
eliminated many senior commanders. We destroyed command centers. We attacked
Revolutionary Guards bases. We attacked Basij bases. We struck the symbols of
the regime. Today, this morning, a few hours before the ceasefire, we struck the
ayatollahs' regime with the hardest blow of all since the start of the war, with
the hardest blow in its history. We eliminated hundreds of regime operatives in
a crushing attack, the most crushing that Tehran has seen in the past 50 years.
Citizens of
Israel,
On your behalf, I thank my friend, President Trump, and the
U.S., for their part in defending Israel and in removing the Iranian nuclear
threat. The U.S. decision to join the campaign, not only on the defensive side,
but also on the offensive side, was historic. It has never happened before. This
was the fruit of a diplomatic effort that I led, together with Minister Dermer,
with President Trump and his team. I must tell you Israel has never had as great
a friend in the White House, and I thank him very much for the joint work. It
has major implications for Israel's national security, for the security of each
and every one of you, and for your children and grand-children, and for the face
of the Middle East.
Citizens of
Israel,
On October 7, we were in the abyss. We suffered the worst
disaster in the history of the State. But thanks to the joint forces of the
Government, the security services and you, the people, we recovered and returned
fire. Approximately 20 months later, we took control of the skies over Iran and
exacted an unprecedented price, which it never imagined it would have to pay.
And yet, despite our tremendous achievements, we are not riding the waves of
euphoria. We are neither overconfident nor complacent -- the opposite in fact. We
have no intention of taking our foot off the pedal. We must complete the
campaign against the Iranian axis, defeat Hamas and bring about the release of
all our hostages, both the living and the deceased.
To the families of the hostages, I say:
We have not ceased for a moment, even a single one, including during this war,
from our efforts to return home all of our hostages. Again: Both the living and
the deceased. And we will not relent from this sacred mission until it is
complete.
And to the bereaved families, I say: Your dear ones, our heroes, did not fall in
vain -- because it is their heroism and sacrifice that made it possible to
dismantle the Iranian axis. Without the immense achievements in Gaza, in
Lebanon, in Syria, and against the terrorism in Judea and Samaria, we would not
have been able to reach Tehran.
With the destruction of the Iranian axis of evil, we will open a path of peace
and prosperity for the nations of the region, and I say to you, even beyond the
nations of the region. We are already working on that, vigorously, and the time
will also come to reveal our activity. We will compensate, with a generous hand,
everyone who has suffered damages, and bring the Israeli economy to new heights.
This is already happening.
Citizens of
Israel,
We have paid heavy prices on the home front during this operation. We embrace
the families of the fallen with infinite love. We all wish a full recovery to
all who were injured, in body and soul, as we do for all those injured in this
campaign since October 7.
In recent days, I have visited several of the cities that suffered considerable
destruction by Iranian missiles. Many homes were damaged, and as I promised the
residents, we will build them anew.
Citizens of
Israel,
I wish to express, on your behalf, the deepest gratitude to IDF Chief-of-Staff
Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir; to the commanders and the fighters of the IDF; to Mossad
Director David Barnea and the fighters of the Mossad; to Air Force Commander
Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar; to our brave combat pilots -- what a wonderful job they have
done; to the dedicated technical ground crews; to the Director of Military
Intelligence, Maj.-Gen. Shlomi Binder and the intelligence personnel, who
revealed the enemy’s secrets with amazing creativity; to the Director of the
Operations Directorate, Maj.-Gen. Oded Basyuk, for driving the campaign; to my
Military Secretary, Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman; to the Home Front Command; to the
Israeli Police; to the fire, medical and rescue Services, who have saved many
lives.
And naturally, I wish to express gratitude to Defense Minister Israel Katz, and
all of the government ministers. They all stood jointly behind the historic
decision, and acted, each in their own purview. Each and every one of them rose
to the occasion.
And beyond all that, I wish to express gratitude to you, citizens of Israel.
This is a moment of national pride, a moment of unity, a moment when every
citizen in Israel can stand proudly and say: Together we did the unimaginable.
The nation rose as a lion. Am Israel Chai ["the People of Israel live"]. And
with G-d’s help -- the eternal people will ensure the eternity of Israel.
1
Netanyahu uses the Hebrew phrase בתחבולות תעשה לך מלחמה which
DeepL interprets as "You shall wage
war with stratagems" or, alternatively, "With cunning you will wage
war." Google Translate interprets the same Hebrew phrase as "You will
wage war with cunning" or
"For by cunning you will
make war." The closest
Christian Scripture (OT) appears to be
Proverbs 24:6
which the
NKJV interprets as
"For
by wise counsel you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of
counselors there is safety,"
among
many other closely construed interpretations.
Original Text Source: .gov.il
Text Note: Hebrew to English
translation via the Government of Israel
