Washington, D.C. — Tensions in the Middle East soared on Friday as Israel launched a third consecutive day of air strikes targeting sites inside Iran. The escalation follows weeks of heightened rhetoric and a dramatic exchange of missile attacks that has left hundreds dead or wounded on both sides.
Israeli authorities issued stark warnings to Iranian civilians, urging them to evacuate military production facilities as the Israeli military signaled its readiness to use even greater force if necessary. Iranian officials reported at least 128 fatalities and more than 900 injuries from the Israeli bombardments.
Iran retaliated with its own missile barrage, killing 13 people and injuring over 360 in Israel. The Iranian foreign minister indicated that Tehran would cease attacks if Israel agreed to stop its strikes, suggesting the possibility of de-escalation remained open.
Scenes of Destruction in Israel
Reporting live from Tel Aviv, Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst described the aftermath of the Iranian missile assault.
More than 250 ballistic missiles have been fired into Israel since hostilities broke out, with some penetrating the country’s sophisticated air defense systems and striking residential neighborhoods.
“Just last night, 11 people were killed when missiles hit apartment buildings,” Yingst reported. “This morning, rescue teams were combing through rubble in central Israel, searching for survivors. Among the missing was a man in his 50s whose injured son, still in a hospital gown after escaping the blast, anxiously waited for news.”
Israeli air strikes, meanwhile, targeted Iranian military installations, energy infrastructure, and reportedly nuclear sites. Among those killed in Iran, local media claimed, were nuclear scientists and senior members of the Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Israeli officials underscored the distinction between their military objectives and Iran’s retaliation. “We are hitting military and nuclear targets,” one Israeli source said. “Iran is deliberately firing ballistic missiles at civilians.”
Exclusive Interview with Prime Minister Netanyahu
Speaking with Fox News anchor Bret Baier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the timing and scale of Israel’s offensive.
“We were facing an imminent, existential threat,” Netanyahu said. “Iran was racing to weaponize enriched uranium for atomic bombs and rapidly expanding its ballistic missile arsenal.”
He warned that Iran was on track to produce thousands of long-range missiles within a few years, capable of delivering massive warheads directly into Israeli cities at hypersonic speeds.
“No country can survive that—certainly not one the size of Israel,” Netanyahu declared. “We acted at the last possible moment to save ourselves and to prevent the world’s most dangerous regime from acquiring the world’s most dangerous weapons.”
Questioning U.S. Intelligence Assessments
Baier pressed Netanyahu on a key point of contention: a recent U.S. intelligence assessment indicating Iran had not actively pursued nuclear weapons since 2003.
“The intelligence we shared with the United States was absolutely clear,” Netanyahu countered. “They were secretly working to weaponize uranium, moving quickly toward a nuclear device that could be operational in less than a year.”
He insisted that the difference between six months, twelve months, or more was irrelevant. “Once they cross that threshold, it’s too late,” he said. “We will not allow another Holocaust. Not now, not ever.”
As the conflict intensifies, the risk of a broader regional war continues to grow, with both sides trading threats and casualties mounting. The United States has called for restraint, but diplomatic options appear to be narrowing as military operations expand.
Netanyahu Defends Israel’s Expanded Strikes on Iran, Warns of Nuclear Threat
Washington, D.C. — As Israeli airstrikes pound Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure for a fourth consecutive day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly defended the scope and timing of the campaign, arguing that Israel is acting to preempt an “existential threat” posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions and ballistic missile program.
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview, Netanyahu also said that the strikes have deliberately targeted Iran’s nuclear scientists, military command, and intelligence leadership—confirming Israeli responsibility for the killing of Iran’s chief intelligence officer and his deputy in Tehran.
He framed these operations as necessary to dismantle Iran’s capacity to rapidly develop atomic weapons and deliver them via advanced missile systems that could one day reach not only Israel, but the U.S. East Coast.
Strategic Objectives: Dismantling Iran’s Nuclear and Missile Programs
When asked to clarify the goal of the campaign, Netanyahu insisted that Israel is not formally pursuing regime change in Iran—but acknowledged that could be a consequence if Iran’s leadership continues on its current path.
“The regime in Iran is weak, kept in power only by violence and repression,” he said. “If the Iranian people were free to choose, 80% would throw these thugs out tomorrow.”
Netanyahu described Iran’s leadership as a “terrorist regime” that oppresses its own citizens while exporting instability and violence across the Middle East. He cited Iran’s support for militant groups from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen as evidence of Tehran’s willingness to destabilize the region—even without nuclear weapons.
“We Couldn’t Wait Any Longer”
Defending the timing of Israel’s military operation, Netanyahu claimed intelligence showed Iran was mere months from being able to assemble an initial nuclear device, having already stockpiled enough enriched uranium for multiple bombs.
“It was the last hour,” he said. “We could have waited for endless negotiations while they advanced their program. We chose to act.”
He rejected criticism that the strikes would entrench Iranian hardliners or trigger wider war, insisting that failing to act would have guaranteed a far greater catastrophe later.
Targeted Killings and Intelligence Operations
Netanyahu confirmed that Israeli forces had successfully targeted senior Iranian figures, including the country’s chief nuclear scientists and top intelligence commanders.
“When you’re talking about someone like Hitler’s nuclear scientist, do you let them go?” he said. “Of course not.”
He emphasized that Israel is striking military and nuclear sites, not civilian targets—contrasting that with Iran’s missile attacks on Israeli population centers.
“They bomb civilians; we go after their military command and nuclear infrastructure,” Netanyahu said.
Warning of a Broader Threat to the United States
In unusually direct language, Netanyahu argued that Iran’s nuclear weapons program is not just a threat to Israel, but to the U.S. and its allies worldwide.
“They’re working on intercontinental ballistic missiles,” he warned. “Right now they can reach 8,000 kilometers. With small upgrades, they can reach the Eastern Seaboard of the United States.”
He accused Iran of orchestrating assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump “through proxies,” calling Trump Iran’s “enemy number one” because he had abandoned the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed maximum pressure sanctions.
“They tried to kill President Trump twice,” Netanyahu claimed, without providing additional details.
Coordination with the United States
Netanyahu also described close coordination with the U.S. government, saying that Israeli leaders informed President Trump of their plans in advance.
“Obviously we informed our American friends and President Trump—a great friend—ahead of time,” he said. “We are fully coordinated.”
He praised the U.S. for helping defend Israeli airspace, noting American pilots have intercepted drones headed toward Israeli cities and U.S. missile batteries have reinforced Israeli defenses.
Capabilities Against Hardened Targets
Pressed on whether Israel can destroy deeply buried nuclear sites like Iran’s Fordow facility, Netanyahu refused to discuss operational details.
However, he claimed Israel had already destroyed key facilities such as the Isfahan uranium conversion plant—describing it as “critical” to Iran’s weapons program.
He hinted at Israel’s advanced military innovations, saying only: “We have quite a few startups and quite a few rabbits up our sleeve.”
A Broader Battle of Civilization
Netanyahu framed the current military campaign in existential terms.
“This is not just our fight,” he said. “It is the wider battle of civilization against barbarism. We are not only defending ourselves; we are defending the world.”
He warned that if Iran were ever allowed to obtain nuclear weapons, it would not only use them to threaten Israel but would provide them to proxies across the region, ushering in an era of nuclear terrorism.
“The people chanting ‘Death to America’—do you want them to have nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them to your cities?” he asked rhetorically. “Of course not.”
Assessing the Damage to Iran’s Nuclear Program
While declining to provide specific estimates, Netanyahu said Israel’s strikes had set Iran’s nuclear program back significantly and caught Iranian leadership by surprise.
“We could have waited and waited, but we chose to act,” he said. “We’re geared to do whatever is necessary to eliminate two existential threats: the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat.”
As fighting intensifies, diplomatic options continue to narrow. The international community remains deeply concerned that further escalation could ignite a wider regional war, but Israeli leaders have signaled they will not stand down until they believe Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been decisively checked.
