Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Sunday that Israel is “very close” to achieving its main military objectives in Iran. According to The Times of Israel, these goals include damaging Iran’s ballistic missile program and disrupting its nuclear capabilities.
Speaking in a pre-recorded press conference, Netanyahu clarified that although Israel will not allow itself to be drawn into a prolonged war with Iran, it will continue its current operation until all its goals are fully met. He asserted, “We won’t pursue our actions beyond what is needed to achieve [the goals], but we also won’t finish too soon.”
‘We Are Eliminating Threats to Our Existence’
Netanyahu said the mission aims to eliminate two major threats — Iran’s nuclear program and its missile arsenal. He emphasized, “I have no doubt that this is a regime that wants to wipe us out… we embarked on this operation to eliminate the two concrete threats to our existence: the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat.”
According to him, Israeli forces have made considerable progress. “We are moving step by step towards achieving these goals. We are very, very close to completing them,” he said.
Damage to Iran’s Nuclear Sites
Although Netanyahu didn’t reveal the full extent of the damage, he confirmed that Israel had caused “very serious damage” to Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility. He added, “We are sending them back, we are removing the threat.”
The Pentagon had earlier confirmed launching “Operation Midnight Hammer,” during which US forces carried out precise strikes on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites.
Israel Monitoring Iran’s Enriched Uranium
When asked about Iran’s 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent, Netanyahu hinted at sensitive intelligence. “We’ve been following that very closely,” he said, adding, “It’s an important component of a nuclear program… and we have interesting intel on that, which you will excuse me if I don’t share with you.”
Why Israel Acted Now
Netanyahu justified the timing of the strikes, linking it to Iran’s actions after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in September 2024. He claimed Iran was accelerating its nuclear weapons program.
Additionally, he pointed out Iran’s reported plan to build 300 ballistic missiles every month. This, he said, prompted Israel to take swift action. “Over half of the ballistic missile launchers in Iran had been taken out in the past 10 days,” Netanyahu revealed.
US Support and Netanyahu’s Discussion with Trump
Netanyahu said he had informed US President Donald Trump about the necessity of acting against Iran. “I told him of our need to act, and he understood it very well,” he noted. Netanyahu added, “I knew that when push comes to shove, he would do the right thing… for America, for the free world, and for civilisation.”
Link to Gaza Conflict
According to Netanyahu, weakening Iran would directly impact the situation in Gaza. “Without the Iranian scaffolding, it all collapses,” he explained. He insisted that the war in Gaza “could end tomorrow.”
He said, “It could end today if Hamas surrenders, lays down all its arms, releases all the hostages. It’s over in a moment.” Netanyahu added, “We think we can give Gaza a different future.”
Background on Gaza Conflict
The Israel-Hamas conflict began in 2023 when Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Since then, Israel has been committed to dismantling the group.
Currently, Hamas is holding 50 hostages — 49 taken in the October 7 attack and the body of a soldier killed in 2014. Of those, at least 28 are confirmed dead, 20 are believed to be alive, and there are concerns about the condition of the remaining two.
