Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the joint war waged by Israel and the United States against Iran 'crushed' its nuclear and missile programs. His remarks came on Saturday, concurrent with the holding of American-Iranian talks in Islamabad, and prior to an announcement that no agreement was reached. In a televised address, Netanyahu said, 'We succeeded in crushing the Iranian nuclear program and crushing its missile program,' adding that the war also weakened Iranian leaders and their regional allies. He added, 'We have reached a point where Iran no longer has a single operational enrichment facility.' Netanyahu claimed that the United States and Israel prevented Iran from developing a nuclear bomb by waging a twelve-day war in June 2025, followed by the war that began on February 28. He stated that the latter war was launched after receiving intelligence that the late Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sought to expand both programs after the first war. He continued, 'He sought to hide missile production and nuclear production deep inside a mountain in a way that even B-2 aircraft could not reach it. Once again, we could not stand idly by.' In response to criticism from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Netanyahu stated that Israel will continue to defend itself with force and determination, and advised Erdoğan 'to be silent.' Meanwhile, the Turkish Public Prosecutor's Office filed charges against 35 Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, in connection with the incident with the 'Freedom Flotilla' ships off the coast of Gaza. Protests in Israel. As Netanyahu spoke, some 800 Israeli protesters gathered in Tel Aviv to protest the war against Iran and Lebanon, accusing the prime minister of attempting to sabotage the ceasefire with Iran. One banner read, 'We don't trust Bibi,' while protesters chanted, 'No to endless wars, no to a government of death.'
