Herzog: "Iran is an empire of evil"

The president added that "this is why it must never have any access to nuclear capability, that is the essence of the matter, and that is the issue at hand. The entire region feels this way. Sometimes it is said openly and sometimes not, but it is important to understand, beneath the surface there is a broad effort to cooperate and prevent this empire of proxies from tipping the balance of power."

Addressing the Houthi threat from Yemen and the damage to global trade routes, the president said: "The situation is that a small tribe is blocking a major artery of global trade, the Bab el-Mandeb strait. This affects the pocket of every American in the world. The whole world must decide whether we are going to surrender to terror, to harassment and to extortion, or not. That is why the campaign against Iran is so vital."

The president's remarks come against a backdrop of ongoing security tensions in the region. Iran is currently facing unprecedented economic pressure, while at the same time showing growing inability to disrupt maritime traffic in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. A combination of heavy American sanctions and a naval blockade imposed on its ports threatens to completely paralyze local industry.

Meanwhile, US Central Command issued a sharp denial of Iranian claims regarding control of the Strait of Hormuz. "This is a false claim," Central Command clarified. "Iran has no navy, as American forces sank it. Furthermore, Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz, a fact proven by the thousands of ships that have passed through it freely, along with more than a billion barrels of oil, in recent months alone."

Investigation into the Flydubai incident

Addressing the investigation into the Flydubai incident, the president said: "We need to look at this in the right perspective. We are discovering clear evidence of a terror attack, an attack that quite literally could have changed the world, and certainly the entire region. Beyond the miracle that occurred there, we must learn lessons and prepare better for next time."

The president added: "Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that our national security adviser and his team will examine the incident and investigate it thoroughly, in order to identify the gaps and failures that were revealed. We are of course cooperating with all relevant parties in neighboring countries, and of course also with the United Arab Emirates. As more and more information is exposed, we are getting a clear example of the need to tighten cooperation in all areas, and especially regarding aviation."

The president also addressed the marking of three years since the October 7 massacre: "Today we mark, according to the Hebrew calendar, three years since that terrible massacre, and in two days we will mark three years since October 7. We face an entire week of ceremonies, of enormous suffering, pain and sorrow, of remembrance, but also of learning lessons for all of us. We must fight terror together."

The president recalled his address to a joint session of Congress in July 2023: "Three months before that terrible day I told Congress, and both sides of the political aisle, that terror is what undermines the future of peace in the region. That is the truth. We want peace, we want peace with our neighbors. We did not ask for this war, it was forced upon us by cruel and barbaric terrorists who raped, massacred, kidnapped and murdered our citizens."

"By virtue of our natural right to self-defense we went out to fight, and changed the course of the Middle East through our heroic fighters," the president added. "On the other hand, we witness attacks on Israel from all sides and its being blamed for all failures. But the truth is that in its actions, Israel is defending the West and the entire free world."