Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to speak Friday evening with U.S. President Donald Trump following the launch of Operation Rising Lion against Iran’s nuclear program.
The upcoming call is part of a series of conversations Netanyahu has held with world leaders since the operation began, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. Additional calls are expected later with Russian President Vladimir Putin and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: Oliver CONTRERAS / AFP, REUTERS/Brian Snyder, Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via REUTERS)
Netanyahu will convene a security assessment at 6:30 p.m. local time discussing the next steps in the campaign against Iran. Attending the meeting will be Defense Minister Israel Katz, Mossad Director Ronen Bar, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other senior security officials.
“The Iranian missiles will eventually arrive and there will be a price to pay. But right now, we must maximize our gains,” a senior defense official said. “There’s still a lot to do and we’re moving forward. More waves are coming. We’re striking without letting up. We won’t take our foot off the gas until we’ve achieved all our objectives.”
Israeli officials said the opening strikes, which included the killing of numerous senior Iranian figures, caught Tehran off guard. “If Iran retaliates, we have more targets. We started strong but this is just the beginning.
“This isn't a terror group—we're dealing with a state considered one of the strongest in the Middle East, a country that attacked Saudi Arabia and others and no one responded. That changes now.”
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IDF strikes in Iran's Tabriz International Airport
Officials welcomed the American support, though uncertainty remains about how involved the U.S. will become. “We’re still in the early stages. There are a lot of variables—will the Americans intervene directly or not?” said one source.
Defense officials currently estimate the campaign could last two to three weeks, though scenarios range from a shorter exchange to a prolonged escalation. “We’re preparing for weeks of fighting.”
The phrase “historic day” reportedly came up during Israel’s security cabinet meeting. “That room is usually filled with rivalries, tensions and barbed exchanges—but not yesterday,” said one source.
“Everyone rose to the occasion.” For Netanyahu—who has made Iran’s nuclear threat a central issue for years—this was described as a defining moment, both as prime minister and as the man who led the cabinet that approved the strike.
Earlier in the day, Trump addressed the Israeli operation and again warned Tehran over the stalled nuclear negotiations. “I gave Iran a 60-day ultimatum to 'make a deal,’” Trump told reporters. “They should have done it! Today is day 61 ... Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!”
Although the Israeli strike on Iran was carried out without direct U.S. involvement, Ynet has learned that the U.S. did assist in intercepting drones launched from Iran. Israeli officials had anticipated that not all countries involved in the October 1 joint interception operation would take part this time.
It was assumed the U.S. would be the first to rejoin the effort, with others following later—but Washington ultimately decided not to leave Israel alone and provided support.