Netanyahu Says Two Ballistic Missiles Could 'Obliterate the UN' During General Assembly Speech

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told world leaders that two one-ton ballistic missiles could 'obliterate the UN' during a fiery General Assembly address marked by mass walkouts and sharp attacks on Israel's critics.

Speaking at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Thursday, 24 September, Netanyahu made the remark while describing the scale of the Iranian missile attacks Israel has faced during the current war.

'You're sitting here, in the General Assembly Hall of the UN,' Netanyahu told delegates before asking them to imagine a one-ton ballistic missile striking the complex.

'It would obliterate the entire compound. In fact, two such missiles would obliterate the UN,' he said. The comment was a hypothetical comparison meant to illustrate the destructive power of ballistic missiles, not a threat by Netanyahu to attack the organisation.

Netanyahu Invokes Iranian Missile Attacks

Netanyahu immediately contrasted the scenario with what he said Israel had endured during its conflict with Iran, telling delegates to imagine 'one thousand gigantic missiles' falling on their cities and homes.

He praised Israeli civilians and soldiers for enduring what he described as a seven-front war involving Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, Yemen's Houthis, armed groups in Iraq and Syria, and Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu also defended the decision by Israel and the United States to attack Iran earlier this year. 'Devastating Iran's nuclear facilities was hard,' he said, but described authorising the attack as 'one of the easiest decisions' he had made as prime minister because he believed Iran posed an existential threat.

Iran has rejected the justification for the attacks. President Masoud Pezeshkian used his own UN address to accuse the international system of applying double standards, contrasting scrutiny of Iran's nuclear programme with Israel's undeclared nuclear capabilities.

Delegates Walk Out as Netanyahu Takes Stage

Netanyahu's appearance triggered an unusually visible protest inside the General Assembly chamber. Scores of diplomats left as he approached the podium, leaving large sections of the hall empty while cheers and boos could also be heard. The General Assembly president repeatedly called for order.

Netanyahu responded by calling the departing diplomats 'moral cowards' and invited anyone else planning to leave to do so immediately. The Palestinian Mission to the UN had encouraged member states to participate in a collective walkout when Netanyahu began speaking, according to the Associated Press.

Netanyahu Targets Mamdani and European Allies

The Israeli leader also used the speech to attack New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has called for federal authorities to honour the International Criminal Court warrant issued for Netanyahu.

The ICC issued the warrant in November 2024 after finding reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu bore criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Netanyahu rejects the allegations, while Israel disputes the court's jurisdiction.

Netanyahu also criticised Turkey, France and Britain while thanking US President Donald Trump for his support during the Iran war. He rejected accusations of genocide in Gaza, calling them false; Israel has consistently denied the allegation.

The speech came just over a month before Israel's 27 October parliamentary election, as Netanyahu campaigns to remain prime minister.

But one of the address's most striking lines came from inside the building itself: Netanyahu asking the assembled diplomats to picture the UN headquarters disappearing under the force of two ballistic missiles, as a dramatic illustration of the threat he said Israel has been confronting.