Netanyahu says Israel has destroyed all four of Iran’s S-300 batteries

In his speech to the Knesset, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at length about the results of Israel’s two strikes on Iran, in response to ballistic missile and drone attacks in April and in October.

In response to the April attack, Israel destroyed one of the four S-300 air defense batteries around Tehran, he says.

In the second strike in late October, Israel destroyed the remaining three batteries, he says. Israel struck other air defense systems, and Iran’s missile production capabilities, he continues.

He also confirms an Axios report that the Israeli strikes destroyed an active nuclear weapons research facility in the Parchin military complex, outside of Tehran. “There is a certain element of the nuclear program that was damaged in this attack.”

Netanyahu says he has spoken about stopping Iran’s nuclear program recently with both US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump.

Netanyahu also insists he and his team are working “day and night to bring all the hostages back.”

“To this day, we have brought back 154,” he says. “117 alive, and another 37, unfortunately, no longer alive.”

He argues that senior US officials agree that maximum pressure must be applied on Hamas so that it will back off its “unrealistic” demands for a deal.

“We will bring home dozens more hostages, I hope in the near future,” he adds, stopping short of saying all of them will be returned shortly.