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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during interview on 60 Minutes that aired on Sunday. Credit: 60 Minutes/CBS via YouTube
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during interview on 60 Minutes that aired on Sunday. Credit: 60 Minutes/CBS via YouTube
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the war with Iran is “not over,” insisting Tehran’s enriched uranium “has to be taken out” and signaling that fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon could continue even if a cease-fire is reached with Iran.
In an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes,” Netanyahu said Iran’s nuclear sites still “have to be dismantled” and refused to rule out military action to remove enriched uranium from the country. “You go in, and you take it out,” he said.
Netanyahu also suggested Israel would not agree to linking a possible Iran cease-fire to an end to fighting with Hezbollah.
“If Iran is indeed weakened or possibly toppled, I think it’s the end of Hezbollah, it’s the end of Hamas, it’s probably the end of the Houthis,” he said.
The prime minister additionally revealed he wants Israel to gradually end U.S. military financing, saying he told President Donald Trump he wants to reduce the current $3.8 billion annual assistance package “to zero” over the next decade.
Addressing mounting criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, Netanyahu blamed social media and foreign influence campaigns for declining support in the United States, while acknowledging Israel had made mistakes during the war.
“In war, armies sometimes miss and civilians die,” he said. “These are mistakes.”