Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the joint US-Israeli operation in Iran in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity which aired on Monday night.
Netanyahu explained that Iran did not learn its lesson from the strikes on its nuclear sites last June and had begun to rebuild its nuclear program, forcing further action.
“The reason that we had to act now is because, after we hit their nuclear sites and their ballistic missiles program, you'd think they learned a lesson. But they didn't, because they're unreformable. They're totally fanatic about this, about the goal of destroying America," said the Prime Minister.
“So they started building new sites, new places, underground bunkers, that would make their ballistic missile program and their atomic bomb program immune within months. If no action was taken now, no action could be taken in the future. And then they could target America, they could blackmail America, they could threaten us and threaten everyone in between."
“So action had to be taken, and you needed a resolute president like Donald J. Trump to take that action," Netanyahu said.
Hannity raised the question of whether the elimination of key Iranian figures and missile defense systems marked the culmination of Netanyahu’s decades-long efforts to combat Iran’s radicalism. Netanyahu responded affirmatively, acknowledging that the removal of Iran’s key leadership, including former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other high-ranking officials, was a critical victory. He explained, “When America, the indispensable ally for Israel, and Israel, America's model ally, work together, amazing things happen."
The conversation also turned toward the broader Middle Eastern peace process, particularly following the Abraham Accords, which were brokered during Trump’s first presidency. Netanyahu expressed optimism about future peace deals, particularly with Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations.
“I think Saudi Arabia will have a lot to gain. I think all these countries around Iran are threatened by Iran," Netanyahu said, adding that peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia was “very possible and probably very close."
One of Netanyahu’s key points in the interview was the need to create conditions for the Iranian people to form their own democratically elected government. He explained that if the Iranian regime were removed, it would pave the way for the people of Iran to “get control of their destiny" and form a government that could change the nation’s direction.
“Iran has been the main engine of war over these years. It's just 95 percent of all the problems you see in the Middle East are generated by Iran," Netanyahu said. He added that the fall of the current regime would not only reshape Iran but also open the door for peace with neighboring Arab nations.
“When you take away Iran, when you let the people of Iran have the opportunity to act to liberate themselves, free themselves from the yoke of this terror machine, you get a different future," Netanyahu said.
As the interview drew to a close, Netanyahu emphasized that the current efforts against Iran were not part of an endless war but rather a strategic move to usher in a lasting peace in the region. “This is a gateway to peace, for broader peace. And I believe that we can achieve it," Netanyahu concluded. “It’s not an endless war. This is, in fact, something that will usher in an era of peace that we haven’t even dreamed of."