Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel’s sweeping military campaign against Iran in his first public interview since launching Operation Rising Lion, calling the strikes a last-resort measure to stop what he described as an imminent nuclear breakout.
“We had to act,” Netanyahu said. “Not just to protect ourselves, but to prevent the world’s most dangerous regime from acquiring the world’s most dangerous weapons.”
The Israeli airstrikes, described by defense officials as the most extensive in a generation, targeted over 100 sites tied to Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. The operation also reportedly eliminated top Iranian military and scientific figures central to the regime’s nuclear ambitions.
Netanyahu said intelligence left no doubt: Iran was weeks, if not days, away from breaching the nuclear threshold. He insisted the action was calibrated, precise, and essential for both regional and global security.
When asked about the broader implications, including the possibility of regime change in Tehran, Netanyahu didn’t rule it out. “That could certainly be the result,” he said, pointing to growing unrest inside Iran in the wake of the strikes.
Though the United States did not participate in the attacks, Netanyahu confirmed that Israeli officials coordinated with the Trump administration beforehand. American forces helped intercept Iranian drones launched in retaliation, but the operation was carried out solely by Israel’s military.
Netanyahu reiterated that the campaign would continue “for as long as it takes” to neutralize Iran’s nuclear capabilities, stressing that Israel would not tolerate another Holocaust scenario on his watch.
“We’re not asking the world to fight our battles,” he said. “But we will not apologize for defending our future.”
Israeli Prime Minister announced live on-air with Fox News that Israel killed Iran’s chief intelligence officer in Tehran “moments ago.” pic.twitter.com/eTz5cUgk2c
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) June 15, 2025
The post Netanyahu Reveals Why He Struck Iran In First Interview Since ‘Rising Lion’ Launch: ‘We Had to Act’ appeared first on Real News Now.
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