“We Had to Act”: Netanyahu Warns Iranian Regime May Soon Collapse | WATCH

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel’s recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have thwarted an imminent threat, claiming Iran was “weeks away” from weaponizing enriched uranium for atomic bombs.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier on Special Report today, Netanyahu described the preemptive strikes as vital to global security, stating, “We blocked Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon.” He warned of catastrophic consequences if Iran acquired nuclear capabilities, saying, “This is a fanatical regime... You give them nuclear weapons, they could make good on their fantasies.” He emphasized that Israel acted due to global inaction, declaring, “No one was going to do anything. I had to act.”

Netanyahu rejected notions of a limited operation, asserting, “This is not a one-time action. It’s a continued effort to prevent a genocidal regime from acquiring the means to execute its goals.”

He highlighted Iran’s pursuit of 3,600 new ballistic missiles annually within three years, scaling to 10,000 in six years, each weighing a ton and capable of striking Israeli cities at Mach 6. “No country can sustain that, and certainly not a country the size of Israel,” he said, adding, “We had to act; it was the 12th hour.”

He also suggested that the strikes, combined with Iran’s declining internal legitimacy, where “80% of the people will throw these theological thugs out”, could lead to regime change. “Pressure has an effect. And ultimately, regimes like this collapse,” he stated, noting, “They certainly don’t have the people.”

Addressing Iran’s nuclear program, Netanyahu disputed U.S. intelligence from March 2025, when Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified that Iran’s nuclear activities were suspended since 2003. He claimed Israel’s intelligence, shared with the U.S., showed Iran was “marching very quickly” toward a test device within months, with enough enriched uranium for nine bombs. “We will not have a second Holocaust, a nuclear Holocaust,” he vowed, citing the Jewish state’s resolve. “Never again is now, and we have to act now.”

The strikes, which began on Friday, have targeted nuclear sites, air defenses, military facilities, and Iran’s energy sector, including an oil container, per Netanyahu. The Israeli military claimed “freedom of action” in Tehran’s skies, though some Iranian defenses remain operational, per an anonymous defense official. On Monday, Israel struck the Quds Force command center in Tehran, and Nitzan Shapira reported the IDF eliminated four senior Iranian intelligence officials, including the head of the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence unit. Netanyahu confirmed, “Moments ago, we also got the chief intelligence officer and his deputy in Tehran,” underscoring Israel’s precision targeting of military and nuclear threats, unlike Iran’s attacks on Israeli civilians.

The conflict has killed at least 224 in Iran and 23 civilians in Israel, per Iran’s health ministry and Israeli officials.

Netanyahu emphasized, “We’re not bombing the population. We’re telling the population: leave,” noting mass migration from Tehran. He contrasted this with Iran’s targeting of Israeli civilians, citing a missile that “slammed through” a Tel Aviv building, killing women and children.

He accused Iran of planning to arm proxies with nuclear weapons, posing “nuclear terrorism on a global scale,” and developing intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. Eastern Seaboard. “These people who chant ‘Death to America,’ try to assassinate President Trump twice, kill 241 of your Marines in Beirut... Do you want these people to have nuclear weapons?” he asked.

Netanyahu revealed constant coordination with President Trump, denying reports that Trump vetoed a plan to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader, calling them “false reports of conversations that never happened.” He praised Trump’s support, including U.S. pilots downing drones, missile batteries defending Tel Aviv, and naval ships in the Mediterranean. “I deeply appreciate President Trump’s decision to help with the defense of Israel,” he said, but noted, “America under President Trump will make the decisions that are best for America.” He confirmed destroying Iran’s main enrichment facility in Natanz and a conversion facility in Isfahan, critical for weaponization, and hinted at further capabilities, saying, “We’re the innovation nation... We have quite a few rabbits up our sleeve.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed Iran would stop attacks if Israel did, but Netanyahu dismissed this as “hogwash,” citing Iran’s bad-faith negotiations and intent to “continue to develop engines of mass death.”

Addressing Gaza, Netanyahu claimed a 1:1 civilian-to-combatant death ratio, “unheard of in such a dense urban environment,” due to Israel’s efforts to evacuate civilians despite Hamas’s coercion. He noted 55,000 deaths per the Gaza Health Ministry, but emphasized Israel’s attempts to secure 202 hostages, with 20 believed alive. He supported a proposed 60-day ceasefire to release half the hostages and backed Trump’s plan for voluntary relocation and Gaza’s reconstruction. “We’re not trying to destroy Gaza; we’re trying to remove the threat,” he said, refuting claims of making Gaza unlivable.

Netanyahu concluded by addressing the Iranian people: “Your great people... have been usurped by this tyranny that has robbed you of hope... Your freedom is near. Rise up, be free.”

To the Supreme Leader, he responded with action, not words, vowing to stop Iran’s “engines of mass death.” As fears of a wider war mount, Israel’s resolve remains firm, with Netanyahu asserting, “The tyrants of Tehran will not win. With God’s help, we will win.”