Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday told the United Nations General Assembly that Israel had the upper hand in a region-wide struggle with Iran and it was capable of striking anywhere in the Islamic Republic and the region.
"There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach. And that's true of the entire Middle East. Far from being lambs led to the slaughter, Israel soldiers have fought back with incredible courage and with heroic sacrifice," Netanyahu said.
"We are winning," he added, after bombing attacks widely attributed to Israel and air strikes across Lebanon targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah killed over 600 people people.
Shortly after his speech, Israel launched its biggest air strike since a 2006 war on Beirut in what military officials said was an attack on Hezbollah's headquarters.
Netanyahu spoke in Biblical terms about the stakes for Israel in the region, between normalization agreements with moderate Arab states and more war with Iran and its armed allies.
"Moses told us that our actions will determine whether we bequeath to future generations a blessing or a curse, and that is the choice we face today, the curse of Iran's unremitting aggression, or the blessing of a historic reconciliation between Arab and Jews."
Netanyahu on Thursday appeared to brush off an initiative by the US and other world powers for a 21-day ceasefire between the Jewish state and Iran-backed Hezbollah, saying military operations would continue with "full force".
Top Israeli military commanders have mooted a possible ground invasion into Lebanon while Hezbollah and Iran have vowed to retaliate for Israeli attacks.
Netanyahu warned against allowing Iran a nuclear weapon - ambitions Iran denies - saying that while Israeli actions have delayed Iran's ability to build a bomb by a decade, they have not yet been stopped.
"Iran now seeks to weaponize its nuclear program... We must not let that happen," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu's comments come days after Iran's new President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking from the same rostrum at the UN General Assembly, expressed Tehran’s readiness to resume negotiations on a lapsed multilateral nuclear deal.
Earlier this month, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), raised the alarm over Iran’s growing stockpile of uranium enriched to 20% and 60%, saying the country was closer to being able to produce nuclear weapons.
Netanyahu pointed to the Islamic Republic’s stifling of dissent, calling on the International community to end what he called global appeasement of Iran.
“For too long, the world has appeased Iran. It turns a blind eye to its internal repression. It turns a blind eye to its external progression. Well, that appeasement must end, and that appeasement must end now.”
The Islamic Republic has been criticized by rights groups for its continuing crackdown. These violations have escalated in the years since Iran’s 2022 Woman Life Freedom nationwide protests in which security forces killed at least 550 people and jailed tens of thousands.
Earlier this month, the UN's Fact-Finding Mission on Iran highlighted the Iranian authorities' escalating efforts to suppress the rights of women and girls.
“Meaningful accountability for gross human rights violations and crimes under international law, including crimes against humanity, remains elusive for victims and survivors," the mission wrote in a report.
In a meeting held on the sidelines of the United Nations Security Council in New York, Germany’s top diplomat called on Tehran to stop exporting ballistic missiles and drones.
In a statement on its X account, the German Foreign Ministry also noted that the discussions with Araghchi addressed "concerns about the Iranian nuclear program and Germans imprisoned in Iran."
The same day, Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong posted a picture of her meeting with Araghchi, saying she had raised concerns about “human rights and Iranian-Russian military cooperation.”
These diplomatic talks come as the US and the UK formally accused Iran earlier this month of supplying short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine, leading to a fresh wave of sanctions on both Moscow and Tehran.
The European Union has similarly imposed sanctions on Iran over its missile transfers, in addition to those already in place due to Tehran's nuclear activities and human rights abuses.
“We call on Iran to immediately cease all support to Russia’s war against Ukraine and halt the development and transfer of its ballistic missiles,” France, Germany, and the UK said in a joint statement. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed this sentiment, warning that Iran’s actions represented a "profound escalation" of the war.
Blinken revealed that dozens of Russian military personnel had been trained in Iran to operate the Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile system, which has a range of up to 120 kilometers (75 miles).
"Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine, against Ukrainians," Blinken said in early September, emphasizing that the supply of Iranian missiles allows Russia to target more distant locations while conserving its own arsenal for frontline engagements.
Iran has previously supplied Shahed drones, widely used by Russia in Ukraine, but has denied providing ballistic missiles.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani dismissed reports of missile transfers as "ugly propaganda" meant to distract from Western military aid to Israel.
A Russian cargo ship, suspected of carrying Iranian ballistic missiles intended for Moscow's war against Ukraine, was observed at a Russian port on the Caspian Sea about two weeks ago, according to satellite imagery shared with CNN.
Additionally, Russia has used Iranian Shahed drones, extensively in large-scale attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian targets, often in combination with cruise and ballistic missiles, which have overwhelmed Ukraine’s air defenses.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, meanwhile, denied the assertions, accusing Western nations of acting on "faulty intelligence and flawed logic."
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in his first press conference, also denied any involvement in missile deliveries to Russia.
Responding to a question from a Japanese journalist, Pezeshkian said, "As for the relationship between the Islamic Republic and Russia, I can say with certainty that since we took office, we have not provided them with anything."
While Pezeshkian expressed no knowledge of missile transfers under his predecessor, Ebrahim Raisi, or previous administrations, he affirmed, "We have and will continue to have relations with Russia."
This summer, Iran faced a 25% power deficit, severely limiting electricity supply to industries, including steel mills, which are heavily dependent on electrical power.
The sharp decline in steel production during the hot season is due to power shortages, a situation mirrored in winter months when gas shortages also lead to significant drops in production.
Iran's power and gas deficits have been worsening dramatically each year. Last summer, the country's electricity shortage reached 11,000 megawatts, rising to 20,000 megawatts this year. Additionally, Iran faced a gas deficit of 250 million cubic meters per day last winter, amounting to 25% of its winter demand.
The trend in declining production is undeniable. Data from the World Steel Association reveals that Iran's steel production in August dropped by 9.9% compared to the same month last year, 33% compared to August 2022, and a sharp 44% compared to August 2021.
Due to reduced operations and under-capacity production this summer, Iran’s crude steel factories have incurred an estimated opportunity cost of $1.5 billion, based on average global steel prices.
The sharp decline in crude steel production has also taken a toll on steel-dependent industries, particularly automotive manufacturing, which saw a 15% drop in production this summer. With a monthly capacity of 120,000 vehicles, the economic loss from this significant downturn in the automotive and parts sectors is substantial.
Additionally, a sharp drop in cement production this summer, also caused by power shortages, has doubled cement prices and halted construction projects across the country.
So far, economic and industrial authorities in the Islamic Republic have not released a report detailing the overall losses incurred by the country’s industries due to the significant electricity and gas shortages. However, some internal estimates, reflected in Iranian media, suggest that last year’s energy shortages cost the country about $8 billion.
Several organizations in Iran's power industry warned earlier this month of a 26,000 MW electricity deficit next summer, exceeding 30% of peak demand, compounded by natural gas shortages affecting both industries and households.
Ali Nikbakht, Chairman of the Iran Power Plants Association, has highlighted the aging and deterioration of a large portion of the country’s power plant infrastructure. He revealed in September that a major power plant has already ceased operations for repairs, noting, “The necessary spare parts should have been ordered two years ago, but they weren't, further worsening the electricity shortage.”
The steel industry plays a crucial role in Iran’s economy, contributing approximately $8 billion and representing 16% of the country’s total non-oil exports. As one of Iran’s most vital industrial sectors, it has been a rare success story over the past two decades, expanding from an annual production of 8 million tons to over 31 million tons.
Data from the World Steel Association indicates that Iran produced 19.8 million tons of crude steel in the first eight months of the current year, a significant portion of which was produced in spring—a season with fewer power and gas shortages.
Iran’s steel production grew rapidly from 2015 to 2019, a result of the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) with world powers, and the widespread inauguration of new steel plants across the country. However, in 2019, following the imposition of US sanctions on Iran's steel exports, the industry experienced a sharp decline.
Over 60% of Iran's steel exports go to Iraq and the UAE. Since 2021, Iran has managed to find ways to circumvent US sanctions on its metals industry, leading to a recovery in production and exports. However, the country's steel output has not yet returned to its 2019 peak levels.