Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar held a press conference in Jerusalem alongside Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna on Tuesday and addressed the elimination of two top Iranian officials.
"Last night, the IDF took out Commander of the Basij Gholamreza Soleimani, and his deputy and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani," Sa'ar said.
He added that "the Iranians are also safer without them," noting that both officials had been involved in the repression of Iranian civilians.
"The Basij, under Soleimani's command, was responsible for the brutal repression of the Iranian people seeking their freedom. Soleimani was under US and EU sanctions for his role in repressing Iranians. Larijani was also under US sanctions, for the same reason, with a 10 million dollar prize on his head. We did it for free, anyhow. Our actions are weakening its repression mechanism. The regime can only be toppled by the Iranian people. Yet without external help, the Iranian people can't liberate themselves," Sa'ar said.
Sa'ar described the Iranian regime as "the number one source of regional and global instability," accusing it of exporting "extremism, terror and bloodshed" since 1979.
According to Sa'ar, Iran has built "a proxy network of terror states across the region," including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen.
He further stated that the regime "deliberately attacks civilian populations," citing recent incidents in Jerusalem and elsewhere. "Yesterday, it hit by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem," he said, adding that he spoke with the Patriarch to express solidarity.
Sa'ar also referenced attacks on Muslim and Jewish sites, including "a Mosque on Ramadan" in the village of Zarzir and "a synagogue in Beit Shemesh, killing 9 Jews."
Addressing Iran’s military capabilities, Sa'ar said, "Israel and the United States are taking out Iran's nuclear program," as well as its ballistic missile systems and military industry.
"These don't just threaten Israel, but also other countries in the Middle East and Europe," he said, adding that such actions would "directly impact European security for the better."
The Foreign Minister also warned of what he termed "modern piracy" by Iranian-backed forces, particularly in strategic waterways.
"The Houthis... crippled the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea," he said. "Now, the Iranian regime is blocking international shipping and the flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz."
He cautioned that failure to address these developments could allow similar tactics to spread globally.
Turning to the northern front, Sa'ar said Hezbollah had launched "around 2,000 missiles and drones at Israel" in a short period, describing the situation as "an unbelievable number within two weeks."
"Our communities in the North are under attack," he said, adding that Israel would act to defend its citizens.
Sa'ar also criticized the Lebanese government for failing to act against Hezbollah, despite commitments made in a November 2024 ceasefire.
"If they're not willing to confront Hezbollah - they are in effect handing over Lebanon's sovereignty and future to Iran," he said.
Addressing his Estonian counterpart, Sa'ar expressed appreciation for Estonia’s designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and called on the European Union to take similar steps in full.
"It would be fitting if it designated Hezbollah, in its entirety, as a terror organization too," he said.
Sa'ar opened his remarks by thanking Tsahkna for his visit, calling it a "solidarity visit to Israel" and highlighting strengthening bilateral ties.
"We look forward to continuing the momentum in 2026," he said, noting cooperation in innovation, defense, and digital governance.
"I look forward... to working together to take our ties to the next level," Sa'ar concluded.