by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Monday that Iran is advancing intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking major U.S. cities, saying the Islamic Republic could soon “put New York City, Boston, Washington, or Miami under their atomic guns.”
Speaking in an interview with commentator Ben Shapiro, Netanyahu said Iran’s missile program represents a global threat. “Iran can blackmail any American city,” he cautioned. “People don’t believe it. Iran is developing intercontinental missiles with a range of 8,000 kilometers; add another 3,000, and they can get to the East Coast of the U.S.”
The prime minister said the danger of allowing Iran to continue its nuclear ambitions cannot be understated. “That’s a really big danger. You don’t want to be under the nuclear gun of these people, who are not necessarily rational and chant ‘death to America,’” Netanyahu warned. “I think Israel is doing a great work at keeping that away.”
Israel–U.S. Defense Cooperation
Netanyahu highlighted Israel’s close security cooperation with the United States, particularly in developing advanced defense and offensive technologies. “The most advanced weapons on the planet are developed by Israel and shared with America,” he said, calling the partnership a cornerstone of mutual security.
He also credited Israeli intelligence with saving lives worldwide. “We prevented planes from being taken down by ISIS and terror attacks in the whole world,” Netanyahu said, emphasizing that Israel’s intelligence services often act to protect U.S. citizens as well.
‘We Are Close to the End of the War’
On the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Netanyahu said he believes the war is nearing its conclusion but insisted that victory cannot be declared while Hamas remains in control.
“I think we are close to the end of the war, but not there yet,” he stated. “Exactly two years ago, the worst atrocities committed against Jews since the Holocaust happened. Everybody thought Israel was doomed. Two years later, we smashed the Iranian axis with most of their proxies.”
He added, “Israel emerged from this horrible day as the strongest power in the Middle East, but we still have things to do to complete the mission. What started in Gaza will end in Gaza with the release of 46 of our hostages, 20 of them who are still alive, and with the end of Hamas rule.”
(Officials have since clarified that 48 hostages remain in Gaza as of Tuesday.)
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Russian authorities say at least 13 people were killed and 39 others wounded Monday in Ukrainian drone attacks on an industrial city about 900 kilometers, or 600 miles, east of Moscow. The latest strikes signaled a further escalation of Ukraine’s campaign of air attacks deep inside Russia.
A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia Monday, collapsing buildings, trapping residents beneath rubble, disrupting airports and sending tremors across much of the country and into neighboring Venezuela.
Archaeologists in modern-day Turkey have uncovered remains of an ancient church believed to be connected to the historic site where the First Council of Nicaea was held in A.D. 325, drawing fresh attention to one of the most consequential turning points in the history of Christianity.
President Donald Trump’s sweeping “Make D.C. Safe Again” law-enforcement campaign is approaching its first anniversary with more than 16,000 arrests, as the administration says its unprecedented federal-local partnership is changing the security landscape of the nation’s capital.
President Donald Trump appears prepared to let Iran’s worsening economic crisis intensify rather than immediately launch another major military offensive, as the Islamic Republic struggles with a collapsing currency, soaring inflation, disrupted trade and growing pressure from a U.S. naval blockade.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday formally launched a national artificial intelligence initiative aimed at making Israel one of the world’s leading AI powers, declaring that the Jewish state intends to help shape the technological future rather than merely respond to it.
Overnight drone and missile strikes killed at least eight people and injured dozens more in Ukraine and Russia on Sunday as both sides stepped up strikes in the more than four-year-long war.