Jerusalem: For over twenty years, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sounded the alarm about Iran’s nuclear ambitions, often to international skepticism and ridicule. Tehran mocked him as the perennial doomsayer—“the boy who cried wolf”—dismissing his fiery speeches and dramatic presentations, including his infamous cartoon bomb at the UN. But on Friday, after years of rallying global action and receiving little more than rhetoric in return, Netanyahu finally acted on his own.
In a nationally televised address, Netanyahu framed Israel’s military operation as a moment of historical reckoning. Drawing parallels to the Holocaust, he invoked the memory of world leaders who failed to act against Adolf Hitler, blaming their inaction for the loss of six million Jews. “Never again,” he declared, “is not a slogan of the past—it is a mission for today. And Israel has shown we’ve learned the lessons of history.”
The airstrikes, targeting critical Iranian nuclear infrastructure, mark a dramatic escalation in Israel’s long-standing standoff with the Islamic Republic. Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, but this week, the International Atomic Energy Agency found Tehran in violation of its non-proliferation commitments—the first such declaration in nearly two decades.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister and a former commando from the elite Sayeret Matkal unit, has spent much of his political career warning the world about the dangers of a nuclear Iran. Yet in previous terms, security concerns about regional blowback—particularly retaliation from Iran-backed groups like Hamas and Hezbollah—curbed his ability to act.
The regional landscape, however, has dramatically shifted. Israel responded with overwhelming force to Hamas’ unprecedented October 2023 attack and quickly neutralized Hezbollah’s offensive capabilities in early 2024. With those threats weakened, Netanyahu had more room to maneuver.
Israeli defense sources say the strikes took out four advanced Russian-supplied air defense systems and directly hit sensitive nuclear installations, including near the fortified Natanz site. “Iran’s vulnerability is now undeniable,” said Defense Minister Israel Katz last November. “We’re closer than ever to eliminating the existential threat.”
Yet the operation wasn’t without political drama. In April, Netanyahu was blindsided by U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement—made during a White House visit—that Washington was preparing to enter direct nuclear negotiations with Iran. The move stunned Israeli officials and reignited Netanyahu’s long-standing tensions with American presidents, reminiscent of his clashes with Barack Obama over the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Trump had previously withdrawn the U.S. from that agreement, aligning with Netanyahu’s hardline stance. But his return to the White House in 2025 came with new political calculations. The White House had set a two-month window for Iran to commit to a deal. With that deadline expiring Thursday and talks set to resume over the weekend, Netanyahu seized the moment to act.
Despite public signs of friction between Washington and Tel Aviv, one Israeli official hinted that recent media reports about a U.S.-Israel rift may have been deliberate disinformation to mislead Tehran. “It was a play,” he said.
Still, Trump has maintained an ambiguous stance—insisting Iran must not get the bomb but also urging that negotiations continue.
Netanyahu’s aggressive move comes as his political standing is under severe strain. Once adored as "King Bibi," his image was severely damaged by the catastrophic security lapse that allowed the 2023 Hamas assault, the deadliest attack on Israeli soil since the country's founding. Many Israelis blamed him for the intelligence failures, and polls now suggest that he would lose power if elections were held today.
He’s also entangled in serious legal battles. Indicted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes during the prolonged Gaza invasion and fighting charges of corruption at home, Netanyahu’s legacy hangs in the balance.
Even as Israeli society grows weary of a war in Gaza that has dragged on for nearly two years, Netanyahu appears to be betting on a high-stakes gamble: that defeating Iran’s nuclear ambitions will restore his political credibility and ensure his place in history.
“History will remember that this generation stood firm,” he declared. “We acted when it mattered most. May God bless Israel—and all who stand on the side of civilization.”