Netanyahu: If Israel's Existence is Threatened, We Will Attack Inside Iran's Borders

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the existence of Israel as a "red line" and stated that if the Islamic Republic of Iran poses a threat to Israel's existence, he does not rule out an attack inside Iran's borders. In an annual interview with foreign media in Israel on Wednesday, December 21, Netanyahu added that Israel is the only country whose army is "directly confronting Iranian forces." According to him, Israel has pushed back Iranian military forces in Syria. Netanyahu, who has also become his country's Minister of Defense since last month, claimed: "They want to bring Iranian military forces here, 1500 kilometers from Iran, near our border, and bring missiles with ranges of 400 to 700 kilometers that would put all of Israel within their reach, as well as 80,000 Shiite militants with the explicit aim of destroying us." The Israeli Prime Minister emphasized that his country has consistently applied the approach of eliminating threats while they are still small, in relation to Iran's plan to stabilize its military and allies around Israel, and has proactively worked to neutralize this threat. Netanyahu's remarks are one of the rare instances where he clearly indicates the possibility of an Israeli attack on Iranian territory. Since returning to the premiership in 2009, Netanyahu had described Iran's nuclear program as a "vital threat" to Israel for many years. However, since the U.S. withdrew from the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement with Iran, and subsequently re-implemented crippling sanctions against Iran on November 14, he has not explicitly referred to Iran's nuclear program as a "vital threat" anymore, despite firmly supporting Washington's actions. Nevertheless, the Israeli government and military have considered Iran's military presence in Syria as a "serious threat" and akin to a "noose tightening around Israel's neck," attacking Iranian and allied targets in Syria hundreds of times in the past three years. On February 29 of last year, at the Munich Security Conference, Netanyahu showed pieces of an "Iranian drone" that the Israeli army had shot down, stating that Iran had sent this drone for a military attack towards Israel's skies, saying: "If necessary, Israel will act against Iran, but do not test us." However, earlier this week, Netanyahu stated that his country has been successful in driving Iran out of Syria, although it is still pursuing this goal. Tamir Hayman, the head of the Israeli military intelligence, stated earlier this week that Iran's military presence in Syria has "diminished" following Israel's confrontations over the past two years, and Iran has "declined" in Syria. The Israeli Prime Minister also mentioned the alignment of views between his country and Arab states, stating they have "correctly understood that Israel is not their enemy but a vital partner for them." Regarding the destabilization of Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, he remarked that the instability in Saudi Arabia "will destabilize not only the region but the world." Last month, at a Central European leaders' summit in Bulgaria, Netanyahu also stated that the murder was "horrific" but maintaining stability in Saudi Arabia is important, which was met with the apparent satisfaction of some Arab countries, including Bahrain. Israeli media reported this week that Prime Minister Netanyahu has tasked Yossi Cohen, the head of Israeli intelligence, the Mossad, to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia before the upcoming parliamentary elections in Israel, which are likely to be held in a few months. Tehran, which has never recognized the existence of Israel since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, and has faced the most severe crisis in its relations with Saudi Arabia in the past three years, has always warned that it will not remain idle in the face of threats from the "enemies of the Islamic Republic of Iran." Iranian leaders have recently emphasized that Israel and Arab countries have become a common threat against the Islamic Republic of Iran.