‘Iranians will regain their freedom, make Iran great again’: Netanyahu says during UNGA address

In recent years, Iran has witnessed several mass public uprisings against the Ayatollahs, which have raised questions about the future of the Islamic Republic.

“Many of those who wage war on Israel today will be gone tomorrow,” he said. “Brave peacemakers will take their place and nowhere, nowhere will this be more true than in Iran.”

‘People of Israel and Iran will restore friendship’

“And our two ancient peoples, our two ancient peoples, the people of Israel and the people of Iran, will restore a friendship that will benefit the entire world,” he added.

Israel and Iran had long-standing ties before the Iranian revolution of 1979, when the Western-friendly Shah was overthrown by the Ayatollahs, who transformed the country into a theocratic state.

Israel vs Iran

Since then, Iran has become the biggest enemy of Israel in the region and has used its proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other Shia militias in the Middle East to wage a war against the Jewish state.

Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day war in June this year, which was the first major direct confrontation between the two in a very long time.

Operation Rising Lion

Israel codenamed the attacks, which began on June 13, Operation Rising Lion, a reference to the Iranian flag before the 1979 revolution.

During the 12 days, Israeli fighter jets decimated Iran’s air defences and conducted strikes at will over the Islamic Republic. It also dealt a serious blow to the upper ranks of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard and targeted its arsenal of ballistic missiles. The strikes also hit Iran’s nuclear sites, which Israel claimed put Tehran within reach of a nuclear weapon.