Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed in an interview with i24NEWS on Thursday evening that the nuclear threat from Iran has been eliminated.
"Unequivocally, yes. I say this in the clearest possible terms—Iran will not obtain nuclear capability," Katz declared. When asked whether this represented a delay or a complete removal of the threat, he insisted it had been entirely neutralized.
"We thwarted over 50% of their launchers," he noted, adding that if Iran attempts to revive its nuclear weapons program, it will be met with force.
"In my assessment, the Iranians won’t dare try again—they have no foundation left. We destroyed decades of capabilities. And the United States is involved as well. We, as the State of Israel, will enforce that," he said.
Addressing broader objectives, Katz stated, "If there had been intelligence supporting the elimination of [Iranian Supreme Leader] Khamenei, I would have given the order to act."
On the efforts to end the fighting in Gaza and secure a hostage deal, Katz explained: "We want them to accept the Witkoff proposal—release half of the living hostages and half of the fallen now, and enter a 60-day negotiation period to release the remaining hostages. At this moment, the pressure is shifting to Gaza, with the same intensity Israel applied to Iran. I believe this is significant."
Katz expressed skepticism about Hamas’s willingness to agree to a comprehensive deal that includes the release of all hostages.
Watch the Hebrew interview: