Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel's strikes against Iran have helped stop the Islamic Republic from exporting terrorism to the United States.
In an appearance on Newsmax's "The Record With Greta Van Susteren," Netanyahu said Israel's campaign has weakened Iran's global reach while leaving key security goals still unfinished.
"So we accomplished great things, but we still have things to finish," he said. "One of the things we have to finish is to get Hamas disarmed."
The Israeli leader tied that objective to the advancement of the Gaza peace plan.
"President [Donald] Trump couldn't have been more explicit on that," he said.
"That's part of the deal. That's part of [Hamas'] commitment."
He said Hamas remains a lethal force in Gaza despite sustained Israeli operations and that its remaining arsenal must be eliminated.
"They still have 20,000 fighters. We've obliterated a lot," Netanyahu said, adding that the terrorists are "all armed with Kalashnikov rifles."
"Altogether, they have 60,000 assault rifles. That's disarming them, you know," he said.
"And we'll get it. We'll do it."
Netanyahu also said subterranean smuggling routes have allowed Hamas to build up its weapons stockpiles.
"They had tunnels underneath for smuggling them," he said. "That's why I insisted on going there."
The prime minister said Israel's actions have significantly reduced Iran's ability to project power across the region and beyond.
"We changed the Middle East — we've had an unbelievable success — by degrading Iran, which was a first-rate power," he said.
"Now it's a second-rate or third-rate power."
Netanyahu said Iran has historically fueled the spread of terrorism well beyond the Middle East, including into the Western Hemisphere.
"They were throwing their weight all over the place, exporting terrorism not only to every part of the Middle East but to Venezuela.
"They're in cahoots with the Maduro regime," he said, referencing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government.
Netanyahu said Iran's ties with the Venezuelan government have helped extend its reach closer to the United States.
"They're exporting terrorism to America, to the American hemisphere," he said.
Netanyahu framed Iran's proxy network as a shared danger to Israel, America's regional partners, and the U.S. itself.
"So Hamas and Iran and its proxies are a threat not only to us, to Israel, but to all America's allies in the Middle East and to America itself," he said.
Israel has dealt Iran "devastating blows," Netanyahu said, "but there's still some work to be done with the proxies, and we're doing it."
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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