Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened his press conference with a sweeping defense of the joint US-Israel
By Sammy Tisser,
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened his press conference with a sweeping defense of the joint US-Israel military campaign against Iran, declaring that "with an agreement or without an agreement, Iran will not have nuclear weapons - not today and not tomorrow," and describing the effort to prevent a nuclear Iran as his "life's mission."
Netanyahu catalogued the scope of the operation in expansive terms. "We launched the largest attack operation in Israel's history," he said, listing strikes on nuclear scientists, regime leadership, nuclear facilities, missile factories, and Iran's navy and air force, with economic damage he said experts estimate "in the hundreds of billions of dollars," with some putting the figure "at even close to a trillion dollars." He framed the campaign in existential terms: "We removed, for years to come, this danger hanging over us of the elimination of Israel's population. That is what we did. We saved the State of Israel from annihilation."
Despite the triumphant framing, Netanyahu cautioned that "the struggle is not over and complete," extending that warning beyond Iran to its proxy network. He said Israel would maintain its security zones in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, stressing that "we will remain in the security zones for as long as necessary to protect our country." He also pledged an additional 350 billion shekels in defense spending to develop technologies that "push the boundaries of imagination."
On his relationship with Washington, Netanyahu pushed back against portrayals of either total alignment or open defiance with President Trump. "Many times we see eye to eye, and there are also cases in which we see less eye to eye," he said, adding: "I am responsible for Israel's security interests. I stand up for them." He declined to say whether Israel would strike Iran independently, but insisted his approach requires "a great deal of experience, a great deal of wisdom, and a great deal of familiarity with the American arena," adding that "when necessary, I stand firm on our security interests."
Topics: Iran, Lebanon & Hezbollah, Gaza
Reported by Sammy Tisser for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.