(Israel, 23rd) Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Israel is very close to achieving the goal of eliminating the dual threat of Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear programs.
Reuters reported that on Sunday (June 22), Netanyahu pledged that Israel would not be drawn into a war of attrition, but also emphasized that he would not end operations against Iran prematurely.
Netanyahu told Israeli media that day, "We will not take actions beyond what is necessary to achieve our goals, but we will also not end operations too early. When we have achieved our objectives and completed our mission, the fighting will stop."
He said: "I have no doubt whatsoever that this (Iranian) regime wants to wipe us out, so we launched this operation aiming to eliminate the two concrete threats to our survival— the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat. Step by step, we are moving towards these two objectives, and we are already very close to achieving them."
Netanyahu indicated that Iran's Fordow nuclear facility was severely damaged overnight by the US "massive penetrating bombs," but the extent of the damage still needs further assessment.
When asked about the fate of Iran's 60% enriched uranium, Netanyahu said: "We have been closely monitoring it. I can tell you, this is an important component of Iran's nuclear program. It's not the only component, nor is it a sufficient component. But it is an important part. We have obtained some interesting intelligence, but I cannot disclose it to you. I hope you understand."
At least before Israel's airstrike on Iran's uranium enrichment facilities on June 13, the purity of Iran's enriched uranium had reached 60%, just a step away from the 90% weapons-grade uranium required for manufacturing nuclear weapons, and far above the 3.67% limit stipulated by the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran's nuclear issue. Iran had always complied with this agreement until 2018, when Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal during his first presidential term.
On the evening of June 21, US President Trump announced that the US had attacked and destroyed Iran's three nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
Reuters reported that on Sunday (June 22), Netanyahu pledged that Israel would not be drawn into a war of attrition, but also emphasized that he would not end operations against Iran prematurely.
Netanyahu told Israeli media that day, "We will not take actions beyond what is necessary to achieve our goals, but we will also not end operations too early. When we have achieved our objectives and completed our mission, the fighting will stop."
He said: "I have no doubt whatsoever that this (Iranian) regime wants to wipe us out, so we launched this operation aiming to eliminate the two concrete threats to our survival— the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat. Step by step, we are moving towards these two objectives, and we are already very close to achieving them."
Netanyahu indicated that Iran's Fordow nuclear facility was severely damaged overnight by the US "massive penetrating bombs," but the extent of the damage still needs further assessment.
When asked about the fate of Iran's 60% enriched uranium, Netanyahu said: "We have been closely monitoring it. I can tell you, this is an important component of Iran's nuclear program. It's not the only component, nor is it a sufficient component. But it is an important part. We have obtained some interesting intelligence, but I cannot disclose it to you. I hope you understand."
At least before Israel's airstrike on Iran's uranium enrichment facilities on June 13, the purity of Iran's enriched uranium had reached 60%, just a step away from the 90% weapons-grade uranium required for manufacturing nuclear weapons, and far above the 3.67% limit stipulated by the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran's nuclear issue. Iran had always complied with this agreement until 2018, when Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal during his first presidential term.
On the evening of June 21, US President Trump announced that the US had attacked and destroyed Iran's three nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.