Netanyahu at Mount Hermon: Israel Close to Defeating Iran

Netanyahu Visits Syrian Outpost, Says Israel "Very Close" to Defeating Iranian Regime (Omer Miron/ GPO: Nir Sharaf / GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited an Israel Defense Forces outpost on Mount Hermon in Syrian territory on Wednesday, accompanied by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai. During the visit, Netanyahu delivered a pointed message to Iran and hostile forces in the region.

Speaking from the strategic mountaintop position, Netanyahu emphasized Israel's expanded military presence in the area. "On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, we are here at the peak of Mount Hermon," he said. "Damascus is here, Lebanon is there, the Syrian Golan Heights are there, and we control the entire area from the peak of Mount Hermon to the Yarmouk River, and from here to the Mediterranean Sea, absolute control unlike anything we've had before."

The prime minister stressed that Israel would not permit terrorist organizations to establish themselves along its borders, calling this "one of the major achievements we have accomplished in the War of Resurrection", the Israeli government's term for the current conflict that began with Hamas's October 7 attack.

He went beyond describing current security gains to issue a direct warning to Iran's leadership. "From these heights, there is still more work to do—the main work is to defeat the terror regime in Iran," he declared. "We are very close to that. We know that the entire axis will ultimately fall. We are committed to doing this and we will do it."

During the visit, he received detailed operational briefings from Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo and Division 210 commander Brig. Gen. Yair Palai. The briefings focused on Israeli control of the region and efforts to prevent hostile forces from establishing positions near the border.

The Mount Hermon visit continues Israel's assertive security posture since the outbreak of the current war. In late August, Defense Minister Katz conducted a similar visit to the area, during which he sent direct messages to Damascus and Ankara.

"We are here at the peak of Mount Hermon, where the Syrian Hermon outpost once stood. Today IDF forces are here and throughout Mount Hermon and the Golan Heights and the entire security zone," Katz said during his August visit. He noted that this position allows forces to "look down on Damascus from above, 35 kilometers away, to look down on the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, on Hezbollah's stronghold from above, and of course to look out over and protect the communities of the Galilee and the Golan."

Netanyahu concluded his remarks with holiday greetings ahead of the Jewish New Year. "I wish you a good year, citizens of Israel, and to our heroic soldiers who are doing the work here," he said.