Netanyahu: Israel ‘will not be dragged into a war of attrition,’ but will keep working toward goals

Israel will continue to operate at full tilt in both Iran and Gaza, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a prerecorded press conference.

“We are advancing step by step toward [our] goals,” he says. “We are very close to achieving them.”

US strike “did very serious damage” to the Fordo facility, says Netanyahu. “We are sending them back, we are removing the threat,” he says of the campaign against Iran’s nuclear program, without going into detail on the damage done.

Israel “will not be dragged into a war of attrition,” he promises, “but we will not stop this historic operation before we achieve our goals.”

At the same time, “we are not taking our eyes off Gaza,” insists Netanyahu, adding that the attacks in Iran help Israel achieve its goals in Gaza. “Without the Iranian scaffolding, it all collapses.”

Israel has taken out over half the ballistic missile launchers in Iran, says Netanyahu.

Netanyahu says he believes that the operation in Iran will ultimately lead to an expansion of the Abraham Accords: “Extraordinary opportunities are being opened up here,” he says.

Israel’s show of strength “is opening up opportunities that we can’t even imagine,” the premier adds.

“I can imagine a massive expansion of the peace agreements,” he continues. “I can see collaborations that might seem fantastical right now but maybe you understand they’re not fantastical.”

“We will see a bright future of security, of prosperity, of hope, and also of peace.”