Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump “should have his opportunity” to try to reach a settlement with Tehran over its nuclear project.
Trump “is obviously not shy of using force when the Iranians break every commitment they make, and usually a few hours or a few minutes after they make it,” the premier continued in an interview with Kristen Welker for NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
“Israel is keenly grateful for the fact that America and Israel joined forces to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them—not only against us, but against the entire West and against the United States,” Netanyahu said.
He added that the Islamic Republic was close to reaching that stage, and that the two military campaigns in less than a year (in June 2025—“Operation Rising Lion”—and beginning in February 2026—“Operation Roaring Lion”) “drove it back. We removed this immediate and present danger of Iran with nuclear weapons that would have posed a danger to everybody.”
The Israeli prime minister also reacted to the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a long-time pro-Israel voice in Congress. Asked about Graham’s propensity to speak openly against America’s enemies, Netanyahu said that “he was absolutely fearless ..., he is a leader in public life, and you have to take those risks.
“But I, frankly, hoped to have many more years of friendship with him, and enjoyed his indefatigable and incorrigible honesty,” Netanyahu said.
“Graham said, ‘I stand with Israel openly. I know that the winds of fashion are blowing another way—I couldn’t care less. ...’ He was so clear, so courageous. Both for his own personal safety, but also for what he believed was absolutely necessary for America. And he believed that Israel’s security and America’s security are intertwined ..., something that he held deeply for many decades,” the prime minister said.
