‘There is nowhere in Iran or Middle East, Israel can’t reach’: Netanyahu’s stark warning to Khamenei’s regime

He issued the warning as he praised Israel’s military and intelligence agencies for their role in the operation.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday called on Muslims to "stand by the people of Lebanon and the proud Hezbollah with whatever means they have and assist them in confronting the... wicked regime (of Israel)," Reuters reported.

In an address on Saturday, Netanyahu said that he personally approved the operation to eliminate Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.

Netanyahu declared, "We are winning." He stressed that Nasrallah's elimination was crucial for weakening Hezbollah's military capabilities. "As long as Nasrallah was alive, he could have quickly restored the capabilities we had eroded." 

Netanyahu also linked Nasrallah’s death to bolstering efforts against Hamas, Hezbollah’s ally in Gaza, and improving the chances of securing the return of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

He used the opportunity to send a strong warning to Iran, asserting that Israel’s reach extends across the region and should serve as a message to Tehran and its proxies.

Netanyahu concluded by calling this a "historic turning point" and reiterated Israel’s determination to return displaced residents to their homes and recover all hostages.

He ended with a vow of unity: "We will fight together, and with God's help, we will win together."

Nasrallah, 64, was killed as Israeli forces bombarded Hezbollah sites across Lebanon following intensified rocket fire from the group into northern Israel.

The airstrikes flattened several buildings in Hezbollah’s stronghold in southern Beirut.

Netanyahu described Nasrallah's death as a major milestone in Israel’s military strategy, and called it a significant step in restoring security to Israel’s northern borders.

In an address to the nation, Netanyahu highlighted Nasrallah's responsibility for numerous attacks on Israelis and foreign nationals, including the 1983 bombings in Beirut that killed 63 people at the US embassy, along with hundreds of US Marines and French paratroopers.