From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Netanyahu says Israel ‘didn’t deal with’ Iran’s enriched uranium during war, insists it can’t have material
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleNava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
Speaking on Fox Business during his visit to Washington, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israel remains concerned about Iran’s supply of enriched uranium following the IDF’s 12-day aerial campaign last month against Iranian nuclear and military facilities.
Addressing Israel’s campaign against Iran, Netanyahu says, “The one thing that we didn’t deal with that we knew we didn’t deal with was the enriched uranium.”
“So it has to be made clear to them, and I think it has been, that they don’t get this enriched uranium,” he continues.
Netanyahu adds that enriched uranium “is not enough to make atomic bombs — it’s a necessary component, but it’s not sufficient.”
Israel “want[s] that necessary component to be under control too,” he says, adding that “I think the Iranians understand that what the US and Israel did once we could do twice, and thrice.”
Asked by Fox why anyone should trust that Iran won’t attempt to renew nuclear efforts, Netanyahu replies: “Because they’re afraid.”
US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran didn’t have time to remove the highly enriched uranium from nuclear facilities before they were struck by the US, declaring that the stockpiles are covered in granite.
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