Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel and the United States struck Iranian nuclear and missile facilities because Tehran had restarted its nuclear program and was rapidly building underground sites that would soon make those capabilities impervious to attack.
Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu described the operation as urgent. He said Iran had begun constructing new subterranean bunkers and other hardened sites that, within months, would have rendered future strikes ineffective. “If no action was taken now, no action could be taken in the future,” he said, explaining the need for immediate intervention.
Netanyahu reiterated that following Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear and missile sites during a 12-day conflict in June, Iran moved to protect its programs by digging and fortifying new facilities. Critics of the earlier operation suggested Iran may have relocated or safeguarded enriched uranium prior to those attacks, a point that has complicated assessments of how much the previous strikes set back Tehran’s capabilities.
Rejecting suggestions that the campaign would drag into a protracted war, Netanyahu insisted the current operation would be swift and decisive. He argued that Iran is at its weakest point since the revolution and asserted the campaign was aimed at changing the regime’s behavior — and ultimately its leadership. He claimed that much of the instability in the Middle East stems from Tehran and that the regime’s collapse would open the way for multiple peace agreements between Israel and Arab and Muslim countries.
Addressing criticism that Israel had pulled the United States into the conflict, Netanyahu pushed back, praising President Donald Trump as a strong leader who takes actions he believes are right for America and future generations. He said the US president understands the threat posed by the Islamic Republic and acted accordingly.
The comments follow a period of intense regional tension and debate over the effectiveness and consequences of strikes on Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure.
