Netanyahu Vows No Peace Until Iran’s Uranium Stockpile Removed

(MENAFN) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Sunday that the conflict with Iran remains unfinished, warning that Tehran's enriched uranium stockpile poses a continued threat that must be eliminated before any lasting resolution can be achieved.

"I think it accomplished a great deal. But it's not over because there's still nuclear material, enriched uranium, that has to be taken out of Iran," Netanyahu told a news broadcast in an interview with chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett that aired Sunday.

Pressed on whether removal would be achieved by force, Netanyahu deflected sharply. "You're going to ask me these questions. I'm going to dodge them because I'm not going to talk about our military possibilities, plans, or anything of the kind," he said.

The Israeli premier outlined the broader objectives of the joint US-Israeli campaign against Tehran, citing the dismantlement of Iran's enrichment infrastructure and the permanent destruction of its missile capabilities and proxy networks as core goals.

"There are still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled," he said, acknowledging that while Iran's military capacity had been significantly degraded, it had not been fully neutralized.

Netanyahu indicated that any diplomatic agreement must include physical removal of Iran's uranium reserves, saying "you go in and you take it out," while again refusing to elaborate on military contingencies.

Invoking US President Donald Trump directly, he said: "Well, I'm not gonna talk about military means, but what (US) President (Donald) Trump has said to me, 'I want to go in there.'"

"I'm not going to give a timetable to it, but I'm going to say that's a terrifically important issue," he added.

The remarks came a day after Israeli media, citing an unnamed official, reported that Trump had privately assured Netanyahu he would not yield on the uranium question as Tel Aviv monitors Washington's next moves toward Tehran. The outlet said Israel is "continuously awaiting and anticipating" Trump's decision.

Meanwhile, Iran transmitted its response to the latest US peace proposal through Pakistani intermediaries early Sunday, according to a state-run news agency. A state broadcaster reported Monday that Tehran's counterproposal demands US compensation, asserts Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, calls for the lifting of sanctions, and seeks the release of frozen Iranian assets abroad. Iran rejected the original US plan, the report said, citing Trump's "excessive demands," while also emphasizing the "fundamental rights of the Iranian nation."

The standoff traces back to February 28, when US and Israeli forces struck Iran, triggering retaliatory Iranian attacks on Israel and Gulf allies alongside the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. A Pakistani-brokered ceasefire took hold on April 8, but Islamabad talks failed to yield a permanent deal. Trump later extended the truce without a deadline to preserve diplomatic momentum.

Netanyahu Eyes End to US Military Aid
In a striking strategic pivot, Netanyahu said Israel should work toward complete independence from American military financing over the coming decade.

"I want to draw down to zero the American financial support, the financial component of the military cooperation that we have. Because we receive -- we received $3.8 billion a year," he said.

"I think that it's time that we weaned ourselves from the remaining military support and go from aid to partnership…I said let's start now and do it over the next decade, over the next 10 years, and shift from aid to partnership."

He pointed to Israel's economic strength as a foundation for the transition. "We have a booming economy," he said, highlighting "the degree of economic cooperation on energy, on AI, on quantum, the areas where Israel is so strong."

Netanyahu also took direct aim at China, claiming it had provided Tehran with missile-manufacturing components. "China gave a certain amount of support and particular components of missile manufacturing" to Iran, he said, adding that he "didn't like" it. "We want to get rid of that danger to our communities, to our cities," he said.

The prime minister closed with a warning about Israel's eroding public standing in the United States, blaming coordinated foreign influence campaigns for shifting opinion.

"We have seen the deterioration of the support for Israel in the United States," he said. "We have several countries that basically manipulated social media. They do it in a clever way. And that's something that has hurt us badly."

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