To end Iran's nuclear threat, 'you go in, and take it out,' Netanyahu tells 60 Minutes

In an interview with CBS News’ 60 Minutes, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu declared that the war with Iran is far from over, asserting that Israel will not rest until the Islamic Republic’s nuclear capabilities are fully dismantled. 

Netanyahu told correspondent Major Garrett that while the conflict "accomplished a great deal, it's not over, because there's still nuclear material, enriched uranium that has to be taken out of Iran." He went on to say that while Israel and the US "degraded a lot of it, there's work to be done."

The Prime Minister advocated for a straightforward approach to neutralizing the nuclear threat, suggesting that if an agreement is reached, the international community should simply "go in and take it out." 

Netanyahu argued that removing the physical material is the only certain way to ensure the regime cannot produce a weapon. He further linked the survival of the Iranian government to the stability of its regional proxies, claiming that the collapse of the regime in Tehran would inevitably lead to the end of Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. "I think it's the end of Hezbollah, it's the end of Hamas, it's probably the end of the Houthis, because the whole scaffolding of the terrorist proxy network that Iran built collapses if the regime in Iran collapses," Netanyahu said.

Addressing the current state of the Iranian leadership, Netanyahu he thinks "Mojtaba Khamenei is alive. What his condition is, it’s hard to say. He’s holed up in some bunker or in some secret place." Netanyahu also expressed skepticism regarding Tehran's interest in a ceasefire in Lebanon, saying, Iran "wants Hezbollah to stay there and continue to torture Lebanon."

A significant portion of the interview focused on a major shift in the Israeli-American relationship. Netanyahu revealed his intention to wean Israel off of its $3.8 billion in annual US military support, saying, “it's time that we weaned ourselves from the remaining military support.” 

He emphasized his desire to begin this transition immediately, noting that his proposal had even surprised his own staff. This move toward military self-reliance is part of a strategic pivot Netanyahu has embraced since the events of October 7.

Netanyahu concluded the interview by reflecting on his shift from a "restrained" leader to a wartime premier dedicated to fundamentally changing the Middle East. Describing the October 7 attacks as part of an Iranian-led "noose of death," he vowed that the attempt to annihilate the Jewish state would fail.

"We're going to change this condition where they're ganging up on us thinking they're going to wipe out the one and only Jewish state, wipe out 3,500 years of Jewish history," Netanyahu said that claryifing that the survival and security of Israel would be 'secured on his watch.'