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3. Netanyahu: Lebanon Held ‘Hostage’ by Hezbollah and Iran

In an interview with 60 Minutes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said Israel seeks peace with Lebanon but argued that Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has effectively taken control of the country and holds the Lebanese people “hostage.”

Netanyahu claimed Hezbollah had planned an October 7-style attack on Israel’s Galilee region and said Israeli operations were aimed at pushing the group back and weakening its military capabilities.

He added that many Lebanese support efforts to disarm Hezbollah, accused Iran of using the group to maintain influence in Lebanon, and said discussions were ongoing over how to confront Hezbollah politically and militarily, while arguing that the Lebanese government has so far failed to do so.

The prime minister added that the confrontation with Iran is “not over yet,” warning that Tehran continues to maintain elements of its nuclear and missile infrastructure despite recent military setbacks.

He stated that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile must be removed entirely and argued that several Iranian nuclear facilities remain operational and still need to be dismantled.

Tehran also continues to support armed groups and regional proxy organizations across the Middle East, he said, while seeking to rebuild parts of its military capabilities. “There are ballistic missiles that they still want to produce,” Netanyahu said during the interview. “Now, we’ve degraded a lot of it, but all that is still there, and there’s work to be done.”

The Israeli leader suggested that diplomatic arrangements regarding Iran’s nuclear program would only be credible if accompanied by direct access and physical dismantlement of sensitive infrastructure.

Referring to discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump, Netanyahu said, “What President Trump has said to me — I want to go in there. 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.”