On 13 June 2025, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, targeting Iranian nuclear facilities that form part of Iran’s program to develop nuclear weapons, and other military assets, including infrastructure related to Iran's ballistic missile program, posing an existential and imminent threat to Israel.
Mme. President,
On 13 June 2025, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, targeting Iranian nuclear facilities that form part of Iran’s program to develop nuclear weapons, and other military assets, including infrastructure related to Iran's ballistic missile program, posing an existential and imminent threat to Israel.
This operation was conducted within the context of an ongoing armed conflict between Iran and Israel. Over the past years, Iran has persistently engaged in direct attacks on Israel, including, only last year, with more than 400 ballistic missiles, 30 cruise missiles, and hundreds of drones, and has constructed its network of terrorist proxy groups, responsible for thousands of additional attacks.
For decades, the Iranian tyrannical regime has blatantly and openly declared its intention to destroy the State of Israel. Since its earliest days, the regime in Tehran has subjugated the people of Iran, and instead of providing them with a path to peace and prosperity, they have committed Iran’s resources to pursuing the destruction of Israel. Let me stress, Iran’s multi-front, coordinated plan to annihilate Israel is not aspirational or metaphoric, it is a real directive, coming from the highest levels of the Regime.
Israel cannot, and will not, accept this situation. Operation Rising Lion was launched prompted by a critical development in Iran’s covert nuclear weapons program and in order to thwart the imminent Iranian threat. This was the 11th hour, the last window of opportunity to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
In recent months, the Iranian regime had significantly accelerated its clandestine efforts to develop nuclear weapons. These efforts included the rapid production of military-grade enriched uranium up to sixty percent, a level with no civilian justification, which brings the regime close to nuclear breakout, as well as accelerated clandestine efforts in all other technological components necessary for the production of a nuclear weapon, across various secret underground facilities.
The IAEA reported that Iran has failed to cooperate fully with the agency, undermined the Agency's ability to do its work by withdrawing designations of inspectors, sanitized locations where activities held place, used undeclared nuclear material in different sites in Iran, and has conducted activities with potential proliferation implications
The proposed decision adopted just last week (June 12) by the Board of Governors of the IAEA, asserts that “Iran’s many failures to uphold its obligations since 2019 .... constitutes non-compliance with its obligations under its Safeguards Agreement with the Agency"; and "the Agency is not able to verify that there has been no diversion of nuclear material".
The world has attempted every possible diplomatic path to stop it, but the Iranian regime has refused to stop. If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time.
Dear Colleagues,
Iran is building a huge stockpile of ballistic missiles each weighing a ton and that can reach Israel within minutes. Iran's plan is to develop 10,000 such missiles within three years and 20,000 missiles within six years. Given Israel's size, this is an intolerable threat, as was tragically demonstrated in the past four days. Iran is developing missiles with ranges of up to thousands kms, and with advanced missile technology capable of carrying conventional and in the future even nuclear payloads. This places Europe within the Iranian striking distance, putting every country at imminent risk.
Iran’s development and testing of surface-to-surface ballistic missiles constitutes a blatant violation of Annex B to UN Security Council Resolution 2231. The scale, frequency, and nature of Iran’s missile activity, particularly its development of missiles with a range and payload consistent with nuclear delivery systems, flagrantly contravenes this binding UNSC resolution.
Mme. President,
Iran has been deceiving the international community for years. The Iranian regime is always ready to engage in negotiations to gain time, in bad faith, as it does not intend to comply with agreements, as proven time after time
This is the same Regime that just one week ago proved again that is deceiving the international community regarding their military Nuclear Project. The same Regime that engages in threats towards other countries. The Regime that has called endlessly for the annihilation of the state of Israel, calling Israel “a cancerous tumor that must be eradicated”.
Iran’s sustained aggression and declared intentions constitute an unacceptable threat to Israel’s security and a grave threat to international peace and security.
Israel will continue to take all necessary measures to defend itself and its citizens, in full conformity with international law.
Thank you, Mme. President