Netanyahu Says Israel Removed Iran’s Immediate Threat

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a forceful message on Wednesday at the MUNI EXPO 2026 conference of the local government center, pushing back against public criticism of his conduct of the war and emphasizing what he described as Israel’s gains against Iran. He opened by attacking his critics, saying, "To all the zero people who talk about one hundred percent. Do you know what the biggest achievement of this war is?"

Netanyahu said that if Israel had not acted through the operations "עם כלביא" and later "שאגת הארי," Iran would already have nuclear bombs. He added that Israel had "removed the immediate threat of thousands of ballistic missiles." His remarks came against the backdrop of ongoing US-Iran negotiations, which have increased concern among Israelis.

The speech came at a sensitive time, as criticism of the government has intensified in recent weeks. Former prime minister Naftali Bennett attacked Netanyahu sharply, saying he was "already incapable of anything" and was "selling the future of the state to the ultra-Orthodox brokers."