Netanyahu Says War With Iran Continues, Calls for Removal of Nuclear Material

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the US-Israeli war with Iran is “not over” because nuclear material remains in the country and still needs to be removed. “You go in, and you take it out,” Netanyahu said in an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes when asked about Iran’s highly enriched uranium.

” He said President Donald Trump has indicated a desire to go into Iran. “I think it can be done physically,” Netanyahu told CBS. “That’s not the problem. ” Netanyahu added that the best path forward would be an agreement with Iran on the nuclear material.

The comments came after Israel and the US established a ceasefire with Iran on April 8. At that time, Netanyahu had said the campaign was not yet over. Iran submitted a response Sunday to the latest US proposal aimed at ending the 10-week-long war. US officials including President Trump had said in recent days they were awaiting Iran’s response before taking major action.

Netanyahu’s remarks echoed his call last month for removing enriched nuclear material from Iran with or without an agreement.

In the same interview that aired Sunday, Netanyahu said he hopes to draw down American military assistance to zero over the next decade. ” Israel currently receives roughly $3.8 billion annually in US military assistance under a 10-year agreement negotiated during the Obama administration that expires in 2028.

The country has received more US foreign aid than any other since World War II, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Netanyahu emphasized that he expects military cooperation between Washington and Jerusalem to remain close. He hopes to expand joint projects involving missile defense, intelligence-sharing, and weapons development, noting Israel has become a global leader in military technology.

Earlier this year, the US approved roughly $6.7 billion in arms sales to Israel, including Apache attack helicopters and other military equipment. Much of the US funding must be spent on American-made defense products.

Israeli analysts said Netanyahu’s comments do not signal any intent to stop purchasing American weapons systems or scale back military cooperation. The security relationship has historically benefited both countries because Israel’s battlefield use of American systems helps refine technologies later used by the US.