JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – In the early hours of 13 June, the State of Israel carried out a precise and targeted military operation against key elements of Iran’s nuclear weapons programme. This was a pre-emptive measure, an act of last resort, taken to protect the Israeli people from an immediate and existential threat.
For decades, the Iranian regime has made its objective unmistakably clear: the complete annihilation of the State of Israel. This is not hyperbole, but a declared goal, supported by an arsenal of enriched uranium, long-range missiles, and coordination with terror proxies such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Intelligence has revealed the existence of a concrete, coordinated strategy known as “The Destruction of Israel Plan,” which outlines the regime’s intention to launch a combined assault on multiple fronts.
This is not rhetoric, it is policy. Iran’s recent accumulation of highly enriched uranium — a third of it obtained in just the past three months — marks a rapid and dangerous escalation. Coupled with its ties to regional terror networks and growing military capability, this left Israel with no choice but to act decisively.
The Jewish people have learnt, through painful history, that when a regime pledges our destruction, we must take it seriously. Time and again, inaction in the face of genocidal intent has come at a terrible cost. Israel’s operation is grounded in this historical memory, and in the fundamental right of any nation to defend its citizens from those who seek its annihilation.
This action is not aimed at the Iranian people, but at those within the regime who threaten regional stability, sponsor terrorism, and pursue nuclear weapons with the intent to use them. The aim is deterrence, not escalation, security, not conquest.
In protecting itself, Israel has also defended the wider world from the threat of a nuclear-armed regime with a record of aggression and terror. It does not seek thanks, only understanding.
This moment calls for clarity, a sovereign state under direct and credible threat has acted to defend itself. We urge the international community to recognise the context, gravity, and necessity of Israel’s response.
Peace remains the hope, but it cannot come at the cost of Israel’s existence.
