CBS’s Major Garrett sat down with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on “60 Minutes” to discuss the ongoing conflicts in Iran and Lebanon, the prospects for a peace deal, the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, prospects for a peace deal, and more. 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 said. There are still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled. <\/p>\n
MAJOR GARRETT: Is the war with Iran over? And if it isn’t, who will decide when it is? PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: 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. There are still– enrichment sites that have to be dismantled. There are still proxies that– Iran supports. There are ballistic missiles that they still– want to produce. Now, we’ve degraded a lot of it. But all that is still there, and there’s work to be done. President Trump-(OVERTALK) MAJOR GARRETT: So this war– this war cannot end until all those things are eliminated? PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: Well, certainly we want to get the nuclear material out. We certainly want to get the enrichment sites– dismantled. We’ve curbed a lot. We’ve degraded a lot of the missile production sites. But the agreement should cover all these areas, including the proxies. Can it end with, as President Trump has– has– led, now, a blockade, an economic pressure on them to do it with non-military means? Fine. If it can be accomplished, why not? But if not– both the United States and Israel, we both agree, President Trump and I, that if necessary, we can reengage them militarily, if it’s necessary. MAJOR GARRETT: If it’s necessary. How do you envision the highly enriched uranium will be removed from Iran? PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: You go in, and you take (LAUGH) it out. MAJOR GARRETT: With what? Special Forces from Israel, Special Forces from the United States working in tandem under international supervision? How? PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: Well, I’m not gonna talk about military means, but the pres– what President Trump has said to me, “I want to go in there.” I mean, he’s said that publicly. He’s said it– and I think he’s right. He’s very committed to this. And– and I think it can be done physically. That’s not the problem. If you have an agreement, and you go in, and you take it out, why not? That’s the best way. MAJOR GARRETT: What if there isn’t an agreement? Can it be taken out by force? PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: Well, you’re gonna ask me these questions. I’m gonna dodge them, so you can ask me that second time, third time, and I’ll dodge it second time, third time. MAJOR GARRETT: Uh-huh (AFFIRM). PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: Because I’m not gonna talk about our– our military– possibilities, plans, or anything of the kind. And I think you understand that. MAJOR GARRETT: I do understand that. But it’s of great concern to the American people and the people of Israel how long this will take. And absent an agreement, what kind of things should they prepare for? PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: I think the most important thing for people to understand in America (and in Israel, I think they do understand it) but, for– in the world, in Europe, you have to understand. Iran, that declares not merely death to Israel but death to America, that’s what they want to achieve. They don’t– not only want to kill Americans, which they have killed and wounded them by the thousands, burned up your embassies– killed your Marines, burned your flags, tried to assassinate– the president of the United States and your– and some of your chief– officials several times. They’re committed to destroy America. They say that, okay? Their commitment involved their– plans over the years to build nuclear bombs and the means to deliver them to the United States. They were very close to developing a nuclear bomb, okay? Very close. In fact, if we hadn’t done the two military operations that we did, they’d have a bomb within– now or within a month or two. Now, you don’t want a fanatic regime like that, that hates America, that is– has no compunction of murdering its own citizen– murdering and wounding tens of thousands of its own citizens, you don’t want them to have nuclear weapons. That’s what prompted President Trump — and me to go out and stop them, prevent them from having them. MAJOR GARRETT: And I’m just tryin’ to get at, “How long is it going to take to achieve that aim?” PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: I’m not gonna give a timetable to it, but I’m gonna say that’s a terrifically important mission, because you don’t want Iran to have ballistic missiles to reach any city in the United States with nuclear warheads, because no American would be safe. And I think President Trump understood that from the start. I don’t think. I know that he understood that from years of discussion with this, you know? I came to– the United States in 2000– 2016, right– right before the elections, because I– I made it a habit to meet with the candidates from both parties– MAJOR GARRETT: Uh-huh (AFFIRM). Sure. PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: –either in America or here. So I go to 2016. It was right before the elections. And I meet with– Hillary Clinton. And then I meet with Donald Trump in New York. The first thing he says to me in Trump Tower is, “We can’t let Iran have nuclear weapons. I’m gonna walk out of the terrible Iran Deal.” Jump forward eight years later, there’s another election. I meet President Biden and Kamala Harris in Washington. And then I go and meet Donald Trump in Mar-a-Lago. And the first thing he says to me, even before I sit down, he says, “You know, Bibi, we cannot let Iran have nuclear weapons. I’m not gonna let it happen.” So he’s infused with this mission. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Here’s the full, extended interview: