Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar began today (Friday) a marathon of phone calls with senior foreign ministers around the world, following the Security Cabinet’s decision to act to eliminate the existential threat from Iran and the launch of an IDF operation.
Among others, Sa’ar spoke with the foreign ministers of Germany, Italy, and the European Union, emphasizing that Israel was compelled to act only after exhausting all other options.
“The whole world saw the Iranians wouldn’t stop”
One of Sa’ar’s first calls was with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul. During their conversation, Sa’ar said:
“We made this decision at the last possible moment, after every other avenue had been tried. The entire world saw and understood that the Iranians were unwilling to stop, and we had no choice but to stop them. The latest report from the International Atomic Energy Agency made clear the extent of Iran’s serious violations. We know difficult days lie ahead, but we have no alternative.”
“Iran’s missiles also threaten Europe”
In another call, this time with European Union High Representative Kaja Kallas, Sa’ar addressed the threat posed by Iran’s long-range missile program. He said, “Iran is advancing a plan to destroy Israel, and its missile project adds yet another layer to the nuclear threat.” He warned that Iran could soon become the world’s leading missile producer — and that the danger is no longer limited to the Middle East.
“We still want a hostage deal”
In a conversation with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the two also discussed the situation in Gaza. Sa’ar made clear: “Israel still wishes to reach a hostage deal — something Hamas has so far refused.” The two spoke about possible steps to advance such a move, alongside efforts to strengthen European support for the legitimacy of Israel’s actions against Iran.
Emergency protocol in effect
The Foreign Ministry has moved into emergency mode, establishing a special situation room that coordinates all of Israel’s diplomatic missions worldwide. The goal: to build broad political legitimacy for the IDF’s actions on the international stage, while advancing a global hasbara campaign — a Hebrew term referring to Israel’s public diplomacy and international media outreach aimed at explaining its policies and defending its actions to the world.
