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Netanyahu vows to eliminate Iran's nuclear threat as conflict escalates
As the Israel-Iran conflict entered its seventh day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Israel is ready to dismantle Tehran's nuclear and missile capabilities—with or without international support.
Speaking to Israel's public broadcaster Kan on Thursday, Netanyahu said, 'Israel is capable of striking all of Iran's nuclear facilities. All help is welcome, but we will act independently if we must.' His comments came amid ongoing Israeli air raids on Iranian sites under the banner of Operation Rising Lion, launched last Friday.
Trump will do what is best for US: Netanyahu
The prime minister also addressed the possibility of direct US involvement, saying the decision rested with President Donald Trump. 'Trump will do what is good for the United States, and I will do what is good for Israel,' he stated, signalling coordination but also strategic autonomy.
During a tour of Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba, a southern Israeli city struck by Iranian missiles earlier that morning, Netanyahu stressed that 'no one is immune' from Israeli retaliation, once again suggesting that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could be considered a legitimate target. 'I gave instructions that no one is immune,' he said, adding, 'It's best to let actions speak for themselves.'
The Israeli leader reiterated that the offensive was aimed squarely at Iran's nuclear ambitions and ballistic arsenal, which he described as existential threats. 'We are targeting weapons of mass destruction. They are targeting civilians,' he said. 'They fire at hospitals. That's the difference between a functioning democracy and murderous regimes.'
אני כאן בבית החולים סורוקה בבאר שבע יחד עם שר הבריאות וסגן השר אלמוג כהן, איש הדרום, ולא בפעם הראשונה עם מנהל בית החולים סורוקה. אנחנו רואים כאן את כל ההבדל. אנחנו פוגעים במדויק במטרות גרעין ומטרות טילים, והם פוגעים בבית חולים, שאנשים לא יכולים לקום ולברוח אפילו. הם פוגעים לא… pic.twitter.com/u9FgJtWkyU
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 19, 2025
Katz compares Khamenei to 'modern Hitler'
The Defence Minister, Israel Katz, echoed this sentiment in more severe terms during a visit to missile-hit Holon. Calling Ayatollah Khamenei 'the modern Hitler', Katz said one of Israel's objectives was to 'prevent his continued existence.' He accused Iran's supreme leader of orchestrating attacks on civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, as part of a broader ideological campaign against Israel.
Heavy casualties and destruction reported on both sides
According to a Washington-based Iranian human rights organisation, at least 639 people have died in Iran so far, including 263 civilians. Over 1,300 have been injured.
Iran has retaliated with more than 400 ballistic missiles and over 1,000 drones, targeting cities such as Ramat Gan, Holon and Beersheba, killing at least 24 people in Israel and injuring hundreds more. Among the injured are at least 240 people following missile strikes on residential areas near Tel Aviv and Soroka Medical Centre, 80 of them patients and medical staff. Much of the hospital had been evacuated in anticipation of the attack, limiting the extent of casualties.
As tensions escalate, Israel claims to have destroyed over half of Iran's missile launchers. Netanyahu declared that the operation was 'changing the face of the Middle East—and now, the world.'
Netanyahu clarifies Iran war goals
Despite speculation about regime change in Iran, Netanyahu clarified that toppling the government in Tehran was not an explicit objective. 'That's a matter for the Iranian people,' he said. 'It could be a result, but it is not a stated or formal goal.'
Due to the ongoing conflict, the Israeli military has imposed strict censorship on media coverage. These wartime restrictions limit reporting on operational details, target selection, and any damage to critical infrastructure or military capabilities.
Netanyahu vowed that Israel would see the operation through to its conclusion. 'At the end of this mission,' he said, 'there will be no nuclear threat on Israel, and there won't be a ballistic threat either.'
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