Netanyahu: With or without an agreement, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu declared Monday that Israel had "saved itself from destruction" through its recent military campaign against Iran, describing the operation as one of the most significant moments in the nation's history.

In his first public comments since the news broke of the US-Iran deal, Netanyahu defended the outcome of Operation Rising Lion, arguing that Israeli actions had prevented Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and eliminated what he characterized as an imminent existential threat to the Jewish state.

"For decades, I have been fighting Iran's efforts to arm itself with nuclear weapons. I can define it as my life's mission," Netanyahu said. "With an agreement, without an agreement, Iran will not have nuclear weapons today or tomorrow. As long as I am the Prime Minister of Israel, this will not happen."

The prime minister dismissed criticism questioning the effectiveness of the military operation, insisting that Israel had removed "the threat of immediate annihilation" facing the country.

According to Netanyahu, Iran had been accelerating its nuclear program prior to the Israeli offensive, while simultaneously moving key nuclear and missile infrastructure underground.

"Iran raced to go nuclear," he said. "If we had not acted at the time we did, in historic cooperation with President Trump and the American military, Iran would already have had atomic bombs."

Netanyahu claimed that the operation significantly set back Iran's nuclear ambitions, delaying the threat "for years to come." He asserted that Israel had eliminated nuclear scientists, damaged nuclear facilities, and destroyed much of Iran's missile production capabilities.

"We eliminated the nuclear scientists, we beheaded the terrorist regime. We crushed the nuclear factories. We destroyed the vast majority of the factories that produce missiles," Netanyahu stated.

The prime minister also described extensive damage to Iranian military assets and infrastructure, including strikes targeting naval and air force capabilities. He estimated that the economic impact on Iran amounted to hundreds of billions of dollars.

"The damage is enormous," he said. "Everything that the regime had built over decades has been severely damaged."

Addressing reports of tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding policy toward Iran, Netanyahu emphasized the strength of the bilateral relationship while acknowledging occasional differences.

"Trump and I have known each other for many years. He is the President of the United States, I am the Prime Minister of Israel," Netanyahu said. "We often see eye to eye, and there are also cases where we see less eye to eye."

He stressed that his primary responsibility remained Israel's security interests.

"I am responsible for Israel's security interests, and when necessary, I stand firm for them," he added.

Despite the military achievements he outlined, Netanyahu cautioned that the confrontation with Iran and its regional allies was far from over.

"The struggle is not over and complete," he said. "We will have to continue to stand guard, to be strong and determined."

The prime minister pointed to recent Israeli operations against Iranian-backed groups across the Middle East, including in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and the West Bank. He also referenced the deaths of senior Hamas leaders, including Mohammed Deif, Ismail Haniyeh, and Yahya Sinwar.

Netanyahu argued that Israel's current strategic position represents a dramatic transformation from the security challenges it faced before the conflict.

"We removed the threat," he said. "Israel is coming out strong, with leadership that knows how to stand up for what needs to be stood for in a smart, firm, and wise way."

The press conference also carried significant political implications, as Netanyahu confirmed that he intends to seek another term in office in the upcoming Israeli elections.

"I will be a candidate in the elections, and I will win them," he declared.

Concluding his remarks, Netanyahu maintained that military strength remains essential to preventing future threats against Israel.

"Any agreement must be accompanied by a credible military threat," he said. "That is what we have done."

Many of Netanyahu's assessments regarding the extent of damage inflicted on Iran and the long-term impact on Tehran's nuclear program have not been independently verified. Iranian officials have previously disputed Israeli claims about the effectiveness of military operations targeting the country's nuclear infrastructure.