Netanyahu Warns Of ‘Several Waves’ Of Iranian Strikes, Confirms US Was Briefed

As Israel launches one of its biggest strikes on Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that he anticipates “several waves of Iranian attacks" in response to Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic. In a video message, he also confirmed that the United States was informed ahead of launching an attack on Iranian military and nuclear facilities.

“We expect to be exposed to several waves of Iranian attacks,” Netanyahu said in a video statement, after Israel struck military and nuclear sites in Iran in the early hours of Friday. “It was necessary to act and I set the implementation date for the end of April 2025,” Netanyahu said. “For various reasons, it did not work out.”

However, Netanyahu said that Israel leaves it to US President Donald Trump whether he wants to join Israeli Defence Forces in striking Iranian nuclear sites.

"The United States knew about the attack in advance -- what they do now, I leave to the president," Netanyahu said, adding, "Trump makes decisions independently."

"Right now, the goal is to first address Iran's missile production capacity."

"I told President Trump - surprise is the key factor for success. It created a state of chaos in Iran," Netanyahu said. "On October 7, it seemed as though we were facing annihilation - today, we are on the brink of a historic turning point. I also intend to speak directly to the Iranian people today, as I believe there are tremendous opportunities here."

"There will be a price, and we are preparing to minimise it in various ways," Netanyahu said. "Do not be euphoric - we need humility and responsibility. At the moment, they are organising, we must assume that there will be an attack against us, and it could come in waves of very severe strikes," Netanyahu said in a statement.

In his address, Netanyahu revealed that Operation Rising Lion was initially planned for late April but was delayed due to various factors. He also admitted that he had attempted to strike Iran during his earlier terms but was unsuccessful.

Tensions in the Middle East escalated sharply as Israel carried out a major strike on Iran. Reacting to the development, former US President Donald Trump confirmed that Washington had full knowledge of the operation beforehand, echoing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that the US was given prior warning.

United States President Donald Trump said, "we knew everything about Israel’s strike on Iran." Trump also told Reuters in a phone interview that it was unclear if Iran still has a nuclear program following Israeli strikes on the country.

Trump told Reuters the US still has nuclear talks planned with Iran on Sunday, but that he is not sure if they will still take place. He said it was not too late for Iran to make a deal. “I tried to save Iran from humiliation and death,” Trump said. He also said he is not concerned about a regional war breaking out as a result of Israel’s strikes.

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