Netanyahu Claims Israel Destroyed Parts of Iran's Nuclear Program and S-300 Defense Systems

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated three weeks after Israel's military attack on Iran that the assault struck a blow to Iran's air defense and missile production capabilities, targeting a "specific section" of Iran's nuclear program. In a speech to the Knesset on November 28, Netanyahu also mentioned that Iran still has the option to pursue nuclear armament. He elaborated that in response to Iran's attack on April 25, Israel destroyed one of four S-300 missile defense systems in a limited operation and subsequently destroyed the remaining three systems in the attack on November 5. He noted that while Iran still has the capability to attack Israel, such an action would bring Israel "closer to its target." Netanyahu stated, "We hit Shiite axis missiles in our operations. Iran can respond at any moment, even right now, but such an action brings us closer to our target." He further asserted that "it is no secret that a specific section of Iran's nuclear plan" was targeted in the November 5 attack. Netanyahu warned that Iran has another option it is pursuing, which is nuclearization, potentially reversing all of Israel's achievements. He indicated that with Donald Trump's return to the White House, Israel's ability to act against Iran's nuclear program would be "reassessed," without providing further details. Trump had previously stated during the U.S. elections that Iran should not have a nuclear bomb. The Israeli operation on November 5 was a reaction to two Iranian attacks on Israel. Iran had attacked Israel with missiles and drones on April 25 following the death of a senior Quds Force commander in Syria, and on September 10, it targeted Israel with 181 ballistic missiles in response to the deaths of key figures in Tehran and Lebanon. During the days leading up to Israel's operation, U.S. President Joe Biden had urged Israel to refrain from striking Iran's energy and nuclear infrastructure. Netanyahu refrained from detailing the "specific section" of Iran's nuclear program targeted in the Israeli operation. Axios reported on November 25, citing Israeli officials, that the "Taleqan 2" site in the Parchin military complex, located 20 kilometers southeast of Tehran, was one of Israel's targets, a site that many senior Iranian officials were unaware of. This location had previously been identified by international experts as a facility for testing nuclear explosive triggers. Satellite images of the "Taleqan 2" site after the Israeli attack on November 5 showed significant destruction. An American official also indicated that recent Iranian activities at "Taleqan 2" might suggest Tehran's covert efforts to produce nuclear weapons, but these activities were so classified that only a few Iranian officials were aware of them. Axios reported that the Israeli air operation destroyed complex equipment for designing and testing plastic explosives that would encase highly enriched uranium in a specific nuclear device. Netanyahu also stated that Israel's recent response had severely impacted Iran's missile production and solid fuel production capabilities used in long-range missiles. In another part of his speech, Netanyahu claimed that the Biden administration did not agree with Israel's operations in Iran but that Israel "could not sit idly by and not respond." He alleged that the Biden administration had concerns regarding Israel's operations in Gaza and expected Israel to refrain from a ground incursion, particularly opposing operations in Rafah. However, Netanyahu asserted that despite Biden's warning about halting some arms supplies to Israel, which was indeed implemented, Israel acted in its own interests. As the Biden administration nears its final weeks, Netanyahu openly complained that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had warned him about how Israel's operations in Gaza should be conducted. Netanyahu added, "But I told him we fight tooth and nail." Last week, Netanyahu stated in a video message to the Iranian people that Iran's missile attack on Israel cost Iran $2.3 billion in damages, without explaining how Israel assessed this figure. The Iranian government has refrained from detailing the damage caused by Israeli air operations to its military and nuclear facilities, warning that it would respond to Israel. On November 28, Iran's Foreign Ministry reiterated its threat of a third attack on Israel, stating that Trump's return to power would not affect this promise.