Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a Monday interview with Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy, credited US President Donald Trump with understanding Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems.
Netanyahu also warned that Iran's advancing missile capabilities underscore the urgency of confronting the regime before it can threaten not only Israel, but Europe and the US.
"There was also that attempted strike near Diego Garcia - 2,500 miles from Iran," Ruddy noted, highlighting the growing range of Iranian weapons.
"Yes, it wasn't an intercontinental missile, but it's getting there - about 4,000 kilometers," Netanyahu responded, adding, "That puts much of Europe within range."
The Prime Minister said Iran's steady progress in nuclear development and delivery systems has long been underestimated by Western leaders, a miscalculation that Netanyahu suggested has contributed to the current crisis.
"The question is whether the West will wake up," Netanyahu said. "Iran has been pursuing nuclear weapons and delivery systems for years, yet many ignored it."
In contrast, he praised Trump for taking the threat seriously well before it became front-page news.
"President Trump didn't ignore it," he said. "He recognized the threat decades ago and acted decisively, including leaving the Iran nuclear deal."
Netanyahu framed the issue as a defining security challenge for the free world, arguing that failure to act decisively could embolden Iran and destabilize global security.
"This is not just Israel's problem," he said, emphasizing that Iran's ambitions extend far beyond the region.
Netanyahu also told Newsmax that rerouting energy pipelines to bypass "Iran's geographic choke point" is just one long-term option for the United States.
"Long-term solutions include rerouting energy pipelines westward - across Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea and Mediterranean - bypassing Iran's geographic choke point," he said.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, is one of the world's most critical oil transit routes.
Roughly 20% of the global oil supply passes through the strait daily, making it a vital artery for international energy markets and a frequent flashpoint for geopolitical tensions.
Any disruption - whether from conflict, blockades, or Iranian threats - can send oil prices surging and destabilize economies worldwide.
Iran has repeatedly signaled its ability to threaten or close the strait in times of conflict, giving it outsized leverage despite its weakened conventional military.
By proposing alternative pipeline routes through allied nations such as Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu emphasized a forward-looking approach that prioritizes energy security and reduces strategic vulnerability.
Such projects, while costly and complex, could shift the balance of power by limiting Iran's influence over global oil flows and strengthening partnerships with regional allies aligned against Tehran.
The Prime Minister also told Newsmax that the joint US-Israeli mission in Iran is "beyond the halfway point," with the current focus being "their enriched uranium stockpile".
"We're beyond the halfway point in terms of mission success," Netanyahu said, citing major gains in degrading Iran's military, nuclear, and industrial infrastructure.
"We've already degraded their missile capabilities, destroyed factories, and eliminated key nuclear scientists," Netanyahu said, adding that those efforts have set Iran's ambitions "back significantly."
The prime minister stressed that the campaign is not just about weakening Iran in the present but preventing a far more dangerous future.
"They are pursuing nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them to American cities," Netanyahu warned. "That's what this war is about - preventing that outcome."
"The focus is on their enriched uranium stockpile," he continued. While the Prime Minister declined to offer a specific timeline for the conclusion of the conflict, he projected continued momentum in favor of the US and Israel.
"Iran is coming out weaker; we're coming out stronger," stated Netanyahu, pointing to both military successes and growing internal instability within the Iranian regime.