‘We struck because…’: Benjamin Netanyahu on why Israel-US attacked Iran

US-Israel-Iran war: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, explaining why the US and Israel decided to strike Iran, said Tehran was strengthening its underground sites and would have made their atomic bomb programme immune within months.

Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu said, “They started building new sites, new places, underground bunkers that would make their ballistic missile programme and their atomic bomb programme immune within months. If no action was taken now, no action could be taken in the future.”

"The reason that we had to act now is that after we hit their nuclear sites and their ballistic missile programme (in the 12-day war last year in June)... they started building new sites...underground bunkers that would make their ballistic missile programme and their atomic bomb programme immune within months," he said, adding, “If no action was taken now, no action could be taken in the future.”

This is contrary to the claims made by both Netanyahu and Trump after they attacked Iran last year. They said they had achieved “a historic victory” over Iran and that Tehran’s nuclear programme had been totally "obliterated".

Netanyahu also dismissed concerns that the Iran war would continue for a long period. “I hear people are telling you that you’re going to have an endless war here — You’re not going to have an endless war because... this terror regime in Iran is at its weakest point. This is going to be a quick and decisive action,” he emphasised.

The Israeli PM said that the attacks would create the condition for regime change in Iran. He said 95 per cent of the problems in the Middle East are generated by Iran. 

Netanyahu also dismissed accusations that Israel dragged the US into the war. “That’s ridiculous. Donald Trump is the strongest leader in the world. He does what he thinks is right for America. He also does what he thinks is right for future generations,” Netanyahu said.