In a sweeping interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out the case for decisive military action against Iran, calling the regime a “death cult” bent on destroying both Israel and the United States.
“Why Now?”
When asked why this moment demanded action, Netanyahu pointed to decades of hostility from Tehran.
“For…years [Iran] has been chanting ‘Death to America, death to Israel,’” he said, accusing the regime of orchestrating global terrorism, targeting U.S. interests and aggressively pursuing nuclear capabilities.
According to Netanyahu, intelligence revealed that after previous strikes on nuclear and missile facilities, Iran had begun rebuilding—constructing new underground bunkers that could rapidly revive its atomic and ballistic missile programs.
“If no action was taken now, no action could be taken in the future,” he warned, arguing that Iran would eventually be able to “target America, blackmail America, threaten us and everybody in between.”
Praise for Donald Trump
Netanyahu repeatedly credited President Donald Trump’s leadership for the timing and scale of the operation.
“There has never been a president like Donald J. Trump,” he said. “His resoluteness, his decisiveness, clarity of thinking—the way he gets things right to the crux of things.”
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Recalling a meeting at Mar-a-Lago prior to Trump’s second inauguration, Netanyahu said the president was unequivocal: “We have to prevent Iran from getting nukes. Simple as that.”
Netanyahu dismissed claims that Israel had drawn the U.S. into the conflict. “That is ridiculous,” he said. “Donald Trump is the strongest leader in the world. He does what he thinks is right for America.”
A “Death Cult” and an Existential Threat
Netanyahu echoed Trump’s characterization of the Iranian regime as a “death cult,” arguing that if it ever obtained nuclear weapons, it would use them.
“These people chanting ‘Death to America’—if they had ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads to deliver to every American city—do we want to wait?” he asked.
He contrasted what he described as Israel’s targeting of military and terrorist infrastructure with Iran’s attacks on civilians. Referring to a recent missile strike that killed nine people in an Israeli town, he said, “These mass murderers in Tehran, they target civilians. We in Israel and America target the mass terrorists.”
Not an Endless War
Despite the intensity of the operation, Netanyahu insisted the campaign is not open-ended.
“This is not an endless war,” he said. “This is a gateway to peace.”
He argued that weakening the Iranian regime could create conditions for internal change. “It is up to the people of Iran to change their government. We are creating—America and Israel together—creating conditions for them to do so.”
Netanyahu also suggested that regional normalization could accelerate, referencing the Abraham Accords as a precedent. If Iran’s influence is removed, he said, “peace would be really possible and probably very close.”
“Peace Through Strength”
The prime minister also gave a broader warning to the West, invoking historical lessons about complacency.
“Freedom is precious. But it has to be protected,” he said. “The good guys have to act early.”
Calling the doctrine “peace through strength,” Netanyahu emphasized that decisive action now, in his view, prevents far greater destruction later.
“It is not a slogan,” he said. “In an unkind world, you have to be strong to protect freedom… It’s not an endless war. It is an effort right now to achieve that peace that we all pray for.”
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
