Netanyahu says war at peak as Israel expands strikes on Tehran
Shafaq News- Middle East
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that the war with Iran is reaching a “decisive phase” as Israeli forces intensify strikes on Iranian targets, including sites in the capital Tehran.
“We are at the height of the battle and we will not stop,” Netanyahu said in a televised address. “To the Iranian people, the moment of truth is approaching.”
He said Israeli forces had killed dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders, destroyed missile production facilities and gained near-complete control of Iranian airspace.
“We will continue our war against Iran until victory,” Netanyahu said, adding that the campaign aims to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons and could ultimately allow Iranians to “take control of their future.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it continued striking Iranian cities on Saturday, focusing operations on Tehran and targeting research and development facilities linked to Iran’s nuclear program.
Military spokesperson Effie Defrin said Israeli forces also struck fuel storage facilities, adding that the volume of munitions used in the current war has doubled compared with the previous conflict.
Iranian media reported damage to several buildings and research units at the Pasteur Institute of Iran following Israeli and US strikes in recent days. According to reports, parts of the complex were heavily damaged, disrupting operations at the institute, which houses dozens of laboratories and research centers, including facilities linked to the World Health Organization.
The escalation follows a wave of US and Israeli strikes launched on Feb. 28 targeting military and government sites across Iran, including Tehran. The attacks killed hundreds of people, among them Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior Iranian military officials.
Iran has responded with strikes on Israeli targets and what it describes as US interests across the region, with the fallout affecting multiple countries including Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
