During a comprehensive CBS 60 Minutes interview, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned that Israel and the United States maintain their commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, suggesting military operations could restart if diplomatic approaches prove unsuccessful. He emphasized that the ongoing conflict has fundamentally altered Middle Eastern power dynamics.
When questioned about whether the conflict with Iran had concluded, Netanyahu responded: “I think it accomplished a great deal, but it’s not over because there’s still nuclear material, enriched uranium that has to be taken out of Iran.” He highlighted that uranium enrichment facilities require dismantling, Iran’s proxy network continues operating, and Tehran persists in ballistic missile development. “There are still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled. There are still proxies that Iran supports.”
The Israeli Prime Minister indicated that President Trump shares his position that Iran cannot be permitted to maintain nuclear weapons capabilities. Referencing discussions with President Trump during both 2016 and the 2024 campaign period, Netanyahu recalled the president consistently stating: “We cannot let Iran have nuclear weapons.”
According to Netanyahu, while sanctions and economic measures during Trump’s initial presidency temporarily slowed Iran’s nuclear advancement, they ultimately proved insufficient. “They went back to enrichment. They went back to full, their full efforts on nuclear, to develop a nuclear weapon,” he explained. Netanyahu claimed Iran was “very close” to acquiring nuclear weapons before Israeli and American operations struck their infrastructure.
When pressed about methods for removing enriched uranium from Iran, Netanyahu avoided detailing military strategies but mentioned President Trump’s belief that the material could be physically extracted through an agreement. “If you have an agreement and you go in and you take it out, why not?” he stated. He consistently declined to elaborate on potential military contingencies, noting only that both nations could “reengage them militarily” when necessary.
Netanyahu characterized Iran as experiencing its greatest weakness since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, citing economic damage, internal divisions, and public unrest that have destabilized the regime. “There are fissures in the regime,” he observed, noting that some officials worry about economic collapse and potential popular uprisings. He credited combined US-Israeli attacks on petrochemical facilities, steel plants, and missile infrastructure with substantially weakening Tehran.
However, Netanyahu avoided predicting regime change definitively. “Is it possible? Yes. Is it guaranteed? No,” he stated. Drawing parallels to the Soviet Union’s collapse and communist Romania’s fall, he noted that authoritarian governments often seem stable until experiencing sudden collapse.
The Prime Minister revealed that Israeli intelligence has extensively infiltrated Iran and conducted what he termed “surgical attacks” on scientists, commanders, and senior officials. Nevertheless, he dismissed suggestions that Israeli operations alone could spark a revolution. “One out of 100 Iranians is in the secret police,” he said, describing the regime as relying on terror and oppression.
Netanyahu also challenged New York Times reporting suggesting he privately assured President Trump that joint operations could guarantee regime change. He emphasized both leaders understood the risks and uncertainties involved. “There was danger in action,” he said, “but there’s greater danger in not taking action.”
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz situation, Netanyahu commended the United States’ blockade approach against Iran, describing it as “a brilliant move.” While acknowledging that Iran’s shipping threats created worldwide economic disruption, he said Tehran miscalculated the repercussions. “They should have understood that that would eventually cause … a reaction that was very powerful,” he commented.
Concerning Lebanon, Netanyahu claimed Israel had eliminated over 90% of Hezbollah’s missile and rocket arsenal, which he said previously totaled 150,000 projectiles targeted at Israeli cities. “Hezbollah is basically a proxy of Iran,” he stated, accusing the organization of controlling Lebanon. He reported Israel had created a security zone in southern Lebanon to prevent another large-scale infiltration similar to the October 7 Hamas attack.
Netanyahu dismissed the concept that any ceasefire with Iran should automatically include Hezbollah. “They want Hezbollah to stay there and continue to torture Lebanon,” he said regarding Tehran’s stance. When asked if he would accept such conditions even under President Trump’s pressure, Netanyahu answered: “No.”
The Israeli leader argued that weakening Iran would similarly weaken Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. “The whole scaffolding of the terrorist proxy network that Iran built collapses if the regime in Iran collapses,” he said, while acknowledging the process would take time.
Addressing Gaza, Netanyahu admitted Hamas had failed to fulfill previous commitments to disarm and demilitarize under earlier agreements. “Hamas promised to do it, and they violated the deal,” he said. While weapons production and smuggling operations had been significantly curtailed, Netanyahu stated: “The disarmament and the demilitarization of Hamas has not been done.”
He pledged Israel would ultimately ensure Hamas could no longer endanger Israeli civilians. “We are not going to let Hamas ever threaten Israel again,” he declared, adding that Israel preferred achieving this objective “the easy way” if possible.
Netanyahu firmly rejected allegations that Israel was conducting indiscriminate attacks in Gaza and Lebanon. “We’re as discriminating and surgical as any army has ever been in history,” he asserted, claiming Israel had taken exceptional steps to warn civilians through phone calls, leaflets, and text messages. He blamed Hamas and Hezbollah for intentionally positioning themselves among civilian populations.
The Prime Minister also contended that Israel was losing the “social media war,” particularly among younger Americans. He alleged foreign governments and coordinated “bot farms” were manipulating online conversations to undermine Israel support and damage US-Israel relations. “While we were fighting the physical military battle on seven battlefields … we were completely exposed on the eighth front, the media war,” he said.
Netanyahu expressed his desire for Israel to eventually eliminate American military aid completely and replace it with joint defense and technology partnerships. “I want to draw down the American support for Israel to zero,” he said, proposing collaborative projects involving missile defense, intelligence, and advanced technologies. “We’ve come of age,” he added, citing Israel’s technology economy and expanding regional relationships.
The Prime Minister also suggested several Arab nations were pursuing closer strategic cooperation with Israel following the Iran conflict. “Let’s strengthen our alliance with Israel,” he said some regional leaders were privately communicating. Netanyahu connected these developments to the Abraham Accords and expressed belief that new partnerships involving energy, artificial intelligence, and defense cooperation were achievable.
Regarding Chinese and Russian support for Iran, Netanyahu said China had provided “a certain amount of support on particular components of missile manufacturing,” while characterizing Russian assistance during the conflict as limited and inconsistent.
Near the interview’s conclusion, Netanyahu rejected claims that he pursued war for political gain. Before October 7, he noted, he was often criticized for being too militarily restrained. However, after Hamas’ attack, he determined Israel faced a coordinated effort by Iran and its proxies to eliminate the Jewish state. “It’s not going to happen. Not on my watch,” he concluded.
