Jerusalem, July 11,2025: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that any peace process with Iran was wishful thinking, stating that the Tehran regime was implacably opposed to both the United States and Israel and as such could not be coaxed into any deal in which it abandons its nuclear weapons ambitions.
The comments suggested that the Israeli premier, who during his visit to Washington yesterday to meet President Donald Trump, has remained deeply suspicious and pessimistic regarding any further US diplomacy with Tehran.
“A good deal with Iran means they stop all nuclear activity, all enrichment. They would stop building these ballistic missiles, which are against international treaties. They would also dismantle the terror axis,” Netanyahu told Fox News in an interview.
“That would be a good deal — but I think that’s not the regime we’re dealing with,” he said, adding that the Tehran regime “has a built-in DNA”, which states “No America, no Israel”, thus ruling out resolution via dialogue.
“They want to get past Israel to reach America. They are developing long-range ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads to threaten you and every American. And that is what has been stopped.”
Iran’s nuclear facilities suffered major damage during its 12-day war with Israel, where Tel Aviv first targeted some of its major uranium enrichment facilities, and centrifuge production centres in areas such as Natanz, Esfahan, and Tehran during its ‘Operation Rising Lion’, followed by the US’ major strikes on Iran’s Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities in its ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’.
Without elaborating much or citing any evidence, Netanyahu claimed Iran had accelerated its nuclear program after Israel took military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“They did that after we crushed Hezbollah and got rid of Nasrallah. The Iranian axis in the Middle East was broken. What did they have left? They rushed to nuclear weapons. That is one cancerous growth that could kill us,” Netanyahu said.
Israel killed hundreds of the Hezbollah fighters and leaders in a conflict which reach a crescendo late last year. A truce left Iran’s old ally much depleted. Tel Aviv also managed to eliminate some of Tehran’s top brass, including its chief nuclear scientists, two IRGC commanders, as well as the chief of the Iranian Armed Forces.
When asked how close Iran is to building a nuclear weapon, Netanyahu said: “About one year”.
