By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israel’s prime minister hinted Thursday that Israel has begun attacking Iran to prevent it from further striking the Jewish nation and obtaining nuclear weapons.
Benjamin Netanyahu said when asked about potential Israeli military action against Iran: “Who said we aren’t attacking Iran? It is the head of the octopus…imagine what Iran could do across the Middle East, take it over and cause its collapse.”
He expressed concerns about Iran openly supporting several groups that Israel regards as terrorist organizations, including Hamas in Gaza, Lebanon-based Hezbollah, the Houthis in wartorn Yemen, and other militia.
Tehran has publicly called for the destruction of Israel. Netanyahu stressed that Israel is forced to fight Islamic-ruled Iran on three fronts, ranging from Israel’s southern and northern borders to its waterways.
Given this reality, “imagine what [Iran] can do to the Middle East, to capture it, to destroy regimes, to control international maritime passages,” threatening global stability.
“Imagine if this is what Iran is doing now, when it doesn’t have nuclear weapons, how critical is it that we stop it from acquiring nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu added.
He claimed that under his leadership, Israel delayed Iran from producing nuclear weapons by at least 10 years and added that Israel could still do more. Netanyahu did not elaborate.
NUCLEAR CONCERNS
“I am obligated as the Prime Minister of Israel to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, not just for our security and existence but for the protection of the entire world,” he said.
Yet confirmation of the apparent Israeli attacks against Iran threatened to open another front, a day after Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Herzi Halevi, said the “likelihood” of all-out war with Hezbollah was greater than ever.
“I don’t know when the war in the north is; I can tell you that the likelihood of it happening in the coming months is much higher than it was in the past,” he said.
Despite these tensions, Netanyahu also made clear that the war in Gaza isn’t over and warned international leaders that Israel will only agree to a deal that would see Israel gain security control over the entire Gaza Strip. Netanyahu said he had already “told this to the Americans.”
He noted that discussions are ongoing in Gaza about the establishment of a Palestinian state led by the Palestinian Authority. However, he said that Israel would only agree to a deal if it included Israel getting complete security control over the entire Gaza Strip. Netanyahu stressed that he “told this to the Americans.”
And, “I blocked an attempt to force us into a reality that would harm the State of Israel,” Netanyahu claimed. Netanyahu has pledged to destroy Hamas, which killed some 1,200 people, including women, babies, and toddlers, while taking 250 others as hostages on October 7, the worst atrocity on Israeli soil since the founding of modern-day Israel more than 75 years ago.
Thousands of Israelis, including the families of Gaza hostages, gathered in Israel’s city of Tel Aviv late Thursday to demand immediate talks to bring the remaining 132 hostages home.
They also marked the birthday of Kfir Bibas, who they said has “the saddest birthday in the world.” Bibas, the youngest hostage being held by Hamas in Gaza, turned one year old.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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