Netanyahu Claims US Strike On Iran Was Never Meant to Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Stockpile: We Knew ‘We Wouldn’t Get’ it

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during an interview on Fox News on Sunday morning, said the US strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities during a bombing mission in June was not intended to destroy Iran’s nuclear stockpile.

Anchor Jacqui Heinrich, in her first week leading the new program The Sunday Briefing, asked Netanyahu about recent comments he made at the United Nations where he said Iran’s nuclear stockpile “must be eliminated.”

“So are you saying, sir, that not all of the enriched uranium was destroyed during the 12-day war or by those strikes from B2 bombers?” Heinrich asked him.

Netanyahu confirmed that is the case — and that Israel understood as much going into the June bombing mission and immediately after it.

“No, we knew that in advance. In fact, our whole plan before and after the United States decided to join us, took into account that we wouldn’t get these 450 kilograms of enriched uranium. We knew that,” Netanyahu said.

He continued: “What we were targeting was the capacity to make more of those, of that enriched uranium, and also the attempt to weaponize it. There’s the enriched core of uranium, but you have to put a weapon around it. You know, these balls that you see in all these movies? That’s the weapon around it. And then you have the missiles to carry that weapon. That’s what we struck at. And we struck hard.”

Heinrich then asked Netanyahu if Israel knows where the remaining 450 KG of uranium is — and whether it plans on destroying it in another attack.

Netanyahu said his country “certainly know where it is” and that the U.S. and Israel share that information with each other, without going into further detail.

The Israeli leader’s answer comes a few months after the U.S., via Operation Midnight Hammer, bombed key Iranian nuclear facilities. President Trump, soon after, declared the mission completely decimated Iran’s nuclear program, posting on Truth Social:

Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term! The white structure shown is deeply imbedded into the rock, with even its roof well below ground level, and completely shielded from flame. The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!

He then ripped CNN and other outlets that called into question whether Iran’s entire nuclear arsenal was gone, saying it was a ‘disgraceful” thing for CNN to do.

Netanyahu, at other points in the interview, made it clear he is a huge fan of Trump. He said the U.S. and Israel’s current relationship is “unparalleled in the history of our nations,” and he said most of that is due to America having Trump as president.

“America is blessed with a very strong and independent leader,” Netanyahu added.