Israeli FM Saar: 'We have removed the annihilation threat' — first formal Israeli victory declaration

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar delivered a formal statement on April 1 (D33) marking the first explicit Israeli declaration of victory over the Iranian annihilation threat. Saar cited evidence uncovered in Gaza during Israel's war against Hamas as proving 'beyond any doubt' that Iran had 'a concrete plan' to destroy Israel through 'massive volumes of ballistic missiles alongside ground forces of proxies on Israel's borders.' He said Israel's government had made 'historic decisions' before both the 12-day war with Iran in June 2025 (which the US joined with nuclear facility strikes) and in February 2026 ahead of the current war — decisions 'simply to remove the threat of annihilation that hung over the Jewish people in their land.' 'Our enemies — and foremost among them, the ayatollahs' regime in Iran — devised a plan of annihilation,' Saar said. 'Today, we can say: We have removed the annihilation threat. We still have bitter and cruel enemies, but they have been beaten head on.' The statement represents the first time a senior Israeli official has formally declared that the primary war objective — removing the Iranian annihilation threat — has been achieved. It is timed hours before Trump's 9 PM national address.