Iran nuclear threat 'far from resolved', says Former National Security Chief
The former head of Israel’s National Security Council said, "the option of another round of conflict with Hezbollah in the near future is more likely than not.”
In an in-depth interview on i24NEWS’ program On The Record, former head of Israel’s National Security Council Eyal Hulata issued stark warnings about Israel’s northern front and said the window to contain Iran’s nuclear ambitions is rapidly narrowing.
Hulata, who served as national security adviser from 2021 to early 2023 and spent more than two decades in the Mossad, offered rare insight into high-level decision-making in Israel during one of the region’s most volatile periods.
Hulata said that while Israel achieved one of its most significant goals, returning nearly all living hostages, the strategic challenges ahead remain immense. “Reaching a ceasefire and transitioning to a long-term arrangement could have been an opportunity,” Hulata said, though he acknowledged that questions surrounding disarming Hamas and securing Gaza politically remain unresolved.
Hulata credited U.S. President Donald Trump and his envoys for advancing the current ceasefire framework, including the so-called “20-point plan” a diplomatic architecture aimed at stabilizing Gaza and laying the groundwork for a multinational stabilization force. But he warned that its implementation remains uncertain.
Turning to Israel’s northern arena, Hulata said growing indications suggest the current quiet may be temporary.
“The option of another round of conflict with Hezbollah in the near future is more likely than not.”
He criticized Israel’s decision to engage directly with Lebanese officials as part of ongoing diplomatic outreach, questioning whether such gestures are being used strategically to compel Beirut to confront Hezbollah's dominance.
“If this engagement were tied to concrete actions to dismantle Hezbollah’s military power, that would be meaningful,” he noted. “But that is not what we’re seeing, and Israel may still ultimately need to act.”
Hulata delivered his sharpest analysis regarding Iran’s nuclear infrastructure after Israel’s unprecedented strike earlier this year.
He called the campaign “highly successful” but stressed that Iran still retains stockpiles of enriched uranium and the technical expertise to reconstitute its program.
“Iran still has unknown quantities of enriched uranium and the capability to resume enrichment. Israel cannot return to the same starting point in two or three years.”
He warned that Iran may simply be “waiting out the clock,” anticipating a change in U.S. leadership and potentially reduced support for Israeli military action.
Hulata argued that Israel must now coordinate with Washington to launch a renewed pressure effort, including strict sanctions enforcement, to force full dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Asked about shifting alliances, Hulata reflected on the symbolic significance of the 2022 trilateral summit between Egypt, the UAE, and then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
“This was supposed to be the beginning of something transformative,” he said, calling it “true normalization.” He lamented that momentum since then has faded, with the Negev Forum dormant and relations with Cairo increasingly strained.
Still, he emphasized that the Abraham Accords remain intact, with the UAE maintaining diplomatic ties throughout the war.
Although Hulata left office nine months before Hamas’ attack, he acknowledged the weight of hindsight.
“Many people don’t sleep since October 7. I definitely don’t sleep at night thinking what would have happened had we still been in office.”
He defended policies adopted under the Bennett-Lapid government, including more aggressive responses to attacks from Gaza and early efforts to weaken Hamas leadership, while also acknowledging decisions that in retrospect fell short.