Netanyahu Insists Israel Will Not Allow Iran to Acquire Nuclear Weapons
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted on Thursday that Israel would not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, even as US President Donald Trump attempts to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Tehran.
Netanyahu’s remarks were his first on the issue since US-Iran talks began earlier this month, and followed a report that former President Trump had blocked an Israeli plan to strike Iran’s nuclear sites.
“As the prime minister has stated many times: Israel will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office said.
Israel and western governments have long accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons capability, an allegation Tehran has consistently denied.
Even before the war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack, Netanyahu repeatedly took issue with Iran for its backing of Hamas and other armed groups Israel is currently fighting.
“The prime minister has led countless overt and covert actions in the battle against Iran’s nuclear program, without which Iran would today possess a nuclear arsenal,” the statement said.
