Erased two names on the punch card, many more to follow: Netanyahu

Earlier on Tuesday (March 17, 2026), Mr. Netanyahu claimed to have eliminated Iranian leader Ali Larijani, the Secretary of the country’s Supreme National Security Council and Basij force Commander Gholamreza Soleimani.

Iran-Israel war updates on March 17, 2026

There was no word from the Iranian government on the fate of the two senior officers.

Larijani had effectively evolved as the in-charge of Iran’s war management following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by Israel on February 28 in the opening strike of the war, which is now in its eighteenth day.

Continuing with his series of videos debunking rumours of his death, the Israeli Prime Minister posted yet another one on the social media platform X from his personal account while meeting U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

Mr. Huckabee, in the video, tells Mr. Netanyahu that the U.S. President Donald Trump has asked him to “come and make sure you were okay”.

“Yes, Mike. Yes. I’m alive”, Mr. Netanyahu mocks, adding, “We shake hands with five fingers in each hand, you know”.

The Israeli Premier then takes a card out of his pocket, saying, “I’m alive, but I have this card. No, don’t read it”.

“So it’s a punch card. Today I erased two names on the punch card, and you see how many more to go on this batch”, he adds.

The two names were apparently those of Larijani and Soleimani, whom Mr. Netanyahu earlier claimed were eliminated in an Israeli strike. “We are getting rid of these lunatics who would like to develop nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them to every American city after wiping out Israel. They ain’t gonna do that. We’re wiping them out”, the Israeli leader stressed.

Mr. Netanyahu earlier on Tuesday asserted that the persistence of the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign will give the Iranian people the chance to take their “destiny into their own hands”.

“This morning, we eliminated Ali Larijani. Ali Larijani is the boss of the Revolutionary Guards, that group of gangsters that effectively runs Iran. Alongside him, we also eliminated the commander of the Basij – they are the gangsters’ assistants who are terrorising the population in the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities”, Netanyahu said in a statement.

“We are undermining this regime in the hope of giving the Iranian people an opportunity to remove it. It will not happen all at once, and it will not happen easily”, the Israeli Premier said, adding, “but if we persist, we will give them the chance to take their destiny into their own hands”.

The Israeli leader has been constantly saying that his country, along with the United States, can enable the creation of a conducive situation for the overthrow of the Iranian regime, but the people of Iran will ultimately have to execute it.

He said that his country continues to operate in different parts of Iran from the air with Air Force jets and UAVs. Repeating his earlier statement from a press conference last week, Netanyahu said that Israel has several surprises in store and he is holding the stratagems close to his chest. “We are helping our American friends in the Gulf. I spoke at length with President Trump on this matter yesterday. There is cooperation between our air forces and navies, between me and President Trump and his staff. We will assist both through indirect attacks, which create immense pressure on the Iranian regime, and through direct actions”, the Israeli Prime Minister said.

“There are many more surprises. ‘By stratagems, you shall make war.’ We will not reveal all the stratagems here, but as I told you, there are many”, he asserted.

He also urged his forces, leaders and people to stay steadfast in their resolve in order to win.

“The most important thing for winning a war is determination: Determination, determination, determination. The determination of the leaders, the determination of the commanders, and the determination of the people. We are determined to win, and we will achieve these goals”, Netanyahu emphasised.

Asserting that Israel has emerged as a formidable power after the shock of October 7, the Israeli Prime Minister, who has constantly come under attack from his people and opposition demanding a state commission of enquiry, said that Israel has emerged stronger than ever.

“I ask you to simply ignore the ‘channels of gloom.’ We are achieving historical milestones. With G-d’s help, we have reached a point where, after October 7, when we were on the brink of an abyss, we are now a formidable power, almost a global one, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with our friend, the global superpower”, he said, touting his country’s strong alliance with the United States.

“This is already a massive achievement in the face of all the threats coming our way. What other country has these capabilities? They are all under attack. Who else has these strengths of ours – the alliances, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), the Air Force, and a strong nation? So, stay strong,” the Israeli leader appealed.

The Premier also tried to assure the population that has come under attack and suffered losses, with thousands of insurance claims piling up, that they will receive the state’s help in coping with it.

“I want to tell you: We will also help you. Regarding everything related to compensation, I have instructed that the framework be presented to you and that it be expanded. We will help the North, and we will help everyone in need, just as we did previously in Operation Rising Lion and during COVID-19”, Netanyahu said.

“We will do it even more vigorously this time”, he stressed.