The Israeli prime minister says his country's attacks against Iran and its allies in the region over the past few months have destroyed the so-called Axis of Resistance led by the Islamic Republic and changed Tehran's behavior.
"A year ago, I said we'd change the face of the Mideast, and we're indeed doing so. Syria is not the same Syria. Lebanon is not the same Lebanon. Gaza is not the same Gaza. And the head of the axis, Iran, is not the same Iran; it has also felt the might of our arm," Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Sunday.
Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military has been engaged in a multi-front war against Iran and its allied militants. The Israeli offensive has led to a chain of events that resulted in the decimation of Hamas and Hezbollah, the killing of their leaders and commanders, and direct attacks on Iranian soil.
Iran also lost the route it used for arming Hezbollah after the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, one of its most important allies in the Middle East who was toppled in a swift offensive by rebel groups led by the Hayat al-Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
Since Assad's downfall, Israel has ramped up its airstrikes against the positions of Syrian army and Iran-backed militants across the Arab country on the pretext of preventing rebels from accessing advanced military assets that might be used for attacks against the Jewish state.
"On Saturday, Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem said so openly: 'Hezbollah has lost its military supply route through Syria.' This is, of course, additional testimony to the severe blow with which we have struck the entire Iranian axis," Netanyahu said in his statement.
However, he warned that the IDF airstrikes will continue to prevent Tehran and its proxies from attacking Israel. "I unequivocally declare to Hezbollah and to Iran: In order to prevent you from attacking us, we will continue to take action against you as necessary, in every arena and at all times."
Syria's de facto leader hits back
The ongoing Israeli airstrikes against Syria have outraged HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Muhammad al-Jolani.
In an interview published on Syria TV's website, the rebel leader urged Israel to halt its strikes, saying the attacks cannot be justified as Iranian and Hezbollah forces are no longer operating in the Arab country.
Netanyahu on Sunday said his country has "no interest in a conflict with Syria."
"We will determine Israeli policy regarding Syria according to the reality on the ground. I recall that for decades Syria was an active enemy state toward Israel. It has attacked us repeatedly. It allowed others to attack us from its territory. It allowed Iran to arm Hezbollah through its territory. In order to ensure that this does not recur, ever, we have taken a series of intensive actions in recent days," the Israeli prime minister said.
