Netanyahu: Iran would have achieved nuclear bomb if Israel had not attacked over past 15 months

Had Israel not attacked Iran in February 2025 and in June, the Islamic regime would now have an atomic bomb to use against Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Independence Day torchlighters on Thursday.

This would have been “the beginning of the end for the Jewish people,” according to the prime minister.

“This year, we faced a massive test. A little over a year ago, it became clear to us that Iran was preparing atomic bombs to destroy us. This is not an empty statement; it is not a ‘spin.’ If we had not acted with the spirit of ‘a nation rising like a lioness and roaring like a lion, they would have atomic bombs, which would be the beginning of the end for the Jewish people. We were compelled to act,” he said.

“It is different because it comes after a year in which we challenged history. The establishment of the State did not stop attacks on the Jewish people. These attacks have continued. What changed is our ability to repel them. And if we thought that after the Holocaust, antisemitism would disappear from the world, it has not. It hasn’t disappeared for generations, and it is not expected to,” he added.

He also added that Israel “not only changed the Middle East but also changed itself, because we are doing things no country ever dreamed of doing.”

Transportation Minister Miri Regev and Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, were present at the meeting with the torchlighters, with Regev saying that “in Israel’s 78th Independence Day torchlighting ceremony, each of the lighters brings to life the power of renewal. It will be an emotional ceremony, both in its content and its artistic segments.”

“We are bringing the security capabilities of the IDF and the State of Israel in all fields. It will be truly moving and a glory to this country, because everyone in this nation wants to connect to the same place, which is a source of pride,” she added.

Originally planned to be recorded due to the security situation, the recent ceasefire with both Hezbollah and Iran allowed the ceremony to be streamed live, while a recording was made during the rehearsal per security guidelines.

One torchlighter invited to the ceremony is Argentine President Javier Milei, who arrived in the country on Sunday and is also expected to meet President Isaac Herzog to receive the Presidential Medal of Honor.