Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday (local time) called on global leaders to join Israel and the US in their war against Iran, citing Tehran’s recent attacks on Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu, speaking at the scene of the rocket attack in Arad, Israel, hailed it as evidence of what he described as a growing global threat, saying developments in the past two days showed how Tehran posed a danger not only to Israel but to the wider international community.
Iran is a threat to the world: Netanyahu
In a video posted on X, Netanyahu said: “In the past 48 hours, Iran has proven once again that it is an enemy of civilization and a danger to the free world: attacking children, families and the elderly with terrorist missiles, threatening Jerusalem’s holy sites, launching long-range missiles and trying to blackmail the world through the Strait of Hormuz.
Calling on world leaders, he said: “I ask the leaders of the free world: what are you waiting for? Israel is not fighting for itself, but for all of you.”
He went on to say that in addition to targeting civilians and threatening Jerusalem’s holy sites, Tehran is also blocking international shipping lanes and energy routes and trying to blackmail the world. His remarks were in reference to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) decision to close the Strait of Hormuz, days after the US and Israel waged war against Tehran and killed several of its top leaders, including the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The closure of the strait, a narrow but key waterway responsible for transporting about one-fifth of the world’s oil, has rattled global energy markets in the past few weeks.
Netanyahu welcomes Trump’s call for action against Iran
Netanyahu welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for broader international action against Tehran, saying it was a vital action not only for the U.S. and Israel, but also for maintaining global security.
Iran targets Israeli cities
On Saturday, Iran attacked two Israeli cities, Arad and Dimona, targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure with rockets. The attack left several injured. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said at least 80 people were injured in a rocket attack in Arad, southern Israel. It added that a total of 100 people, including children, were injured after ballistic missiles targeted Arad and Dimona. The strikes also caused extensive damage in residential areas.
Media reports suggested the attack was in retaliation for attacks launched earlier on Saturday targeting Tehran’s Natanz nuclear facility.
Iran’s previously unknown military capabilities are in the spotlight
Netanyahu’s appeal to global leaders came days after Tehran fired ballistic missiles at a joint US-British base in Diego Garcia, a remote island in the Indian Ocean. On Friday, hours after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer allowed the US to use British bases to attack Iran, a move condemned by Tehran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the Islamic Republic fired two missiles, one intercepted by a US SM-3 and the other failing in mid-air. Although no casualties or damage were reported, the incident continues to gain momentum as it revealed Tehran’s previously unknown military capabilities.
Diego Garcia is 4,000 kilometers from Tehran, and the Islamic Republic previously claimed its missile range was 2,000 kilometers.
