Netanyahu warns Tehran that Israel can reach all the Middle East

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to Tehran on Monday that there was nowhere in the Middle East that Israel could not reach and called on Iranians to work together with Israelis for peace.

Netanyahu pointed to Mohammed Deif, a Hamas military leader Israel claims to have killed in the Gaza Strip in July, and Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader killed in Beirut last week, in his video message.

"Ask Mohammed Deif. Ask Nasrallah. There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach. There is nowhere we will not go to protect our people and protect our country," he said.

The current government was bringing the Iranian people "closer to the abyss," he said.

"When Iran is finally free, and that moment will come a lot sooner than people think, everything will be different. Our two ancient peoples, the Jewish people and the Persian people, will finally be at peace," Netanyahu said.

He predicted that Iran would thrive as never before. "May we together know a future of prosperity and peace," Netanyahu concluded.

Netanyahu was speaking as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued air strikes on Lebanon and appeared to be preparing a ground invasion of the country.