Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held his first press conference since the start of the war this evening (Thursday) via video conference.
During the press conference, Netanyahu addressed Hezbollah's attacks on Israel and stated that the Iranian proxy terror group would "pay a very heavy price."
"This is no longer the same Iran, this is no longer the same Middle East, and this is also not the same Israel. We initiate and attack with force. Trump and I talk almost every day, exchange ideas and advice, and decide together," Netanyahu said.
"We are crushing Iran and Hezbollah," Netanyahu declared, adding, "We are becoming a regional power. Our roar is growing louder. We have achieved enormous achievements that are changing the balance of power beyond the Middle East."
Regarding the campaign in the north, he said, "Hezbollah feels the comfort of our arm and will pay a very heavy price for its aggression."
In response to a question about the threat from Lebanon and past statements that Hezbollah was defeated in the previous campaign against it, Netanyahu said: "We talked then about 150,000 rockets and missiles, about the destruction of the towers in Tel Aviv, about the eyes of ruins in the rest of the country, and about 15,000 to 20,000 dead. All of this did not materialize because we dealt them a tremendous blow, but that does not mean that they did not have any residual fire left."
"Threats come and go, but we are strengthening our power compared to what was here," the prime minister added. "Tomorrow they will be even weaker - both Iran and Hezbollah. We are changing the Middle East. Both against enemies and against friends. Israel is stronger than ever, the whole world understands that."
He referred to the appointment of Ali Khamenei's son as Iran's supreme leader after his father's assassination. "We have eliminated the old dictator, and the new dictator, the puppet of the Revolutionary Guards, cannot show his face in public. I say to the people of Iran: The moment is approaching when you can embark on the path of freedom. It is in your hands."
However, he added that he cannot guarantee "that the Iranian regime will collapse, if we join forces, we will repel the enemies time and time again."
The Prime Minister promised that "many more surprises are expected in the campaign. We have the upper hand, much more than we expected."
Netanyahu was asked about the request for a pardon in his trial and replied, "This is a trial that should never have come to pass and was overturned after the terrible things that happened in it were discovered - blackmail with threats, bedbugs and the use of spies, where has such a thing been heard of?"
When asked if he asked the US President to intervene in favor of granting a pardon, he responded, "I did not ask Trump for any request regarding the pardon. Trump has the right to speak his mind and he speaks from his heart."