Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that Iran’s Islamic regime had identified former US President Donald Trump as “enemy number one” for his uncompromising stance against Iran’s nuclear ambitions, even plotting to assassinate him. Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu asserted that Trump’s hardline policies and military actions made him the top target for Tehran.
“They want to kill him. He’s enemy number one,” Netanyahu said, highlighting Trump’s decisions to exit the Iran nuclear deal, order the killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, and impose heavy sanctions. “He’s a decisive leader… he made it very clear: ‘You cannot have a nuclear weapon, which means you cannot enrich uranium.’”
Netanyahu also revealed that he himself was targeted when a missile hit the bedroom window of his home, calling himself Trump’s “junior partner” in countering Iran’s nuclear capabilities. He warned of an “imminent threat” to Israel due to Iran’s rapidly growing missile arsenal and advancing nuclear program.
According to Netanyahu, Iran is developing the capacity to manufacture up to 3,600 ballistic missiles annually, potentially scaling up to 20,000 within the next three decades. “No country can sustain that… and certainly not a country the size of Israel, so we had to act,” he said, justifying recent Israeli military actions.
The Israeli Prime Minister praised Operation Rising Lion, Israel’s latest offensive against Iran, calling it “one of the greatest military operations in history.” He claimed it significantly damaged Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and reiterated that Israel was acting not just in self-defense but also in the interest of global security.
Despite Israel’s offensive, Iran retaliated with a wave of ballistic missile attacks, many of which were intercepted. Netanyahu expressed skepticism over diplomatic negotiations with Tehran, saying talks were “going nowhere,” and vowed to take all necessary steps to eliminate the threat.
Addressing the Iranian people directly, Netanyahu said they had suffered under the same regime for five decades and urged international support in dismantling the nuclear threat.