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Iran 'definitely' holds chemical weapons even as nuclear capacity destroyed, Netanyahu warns
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran possesses chemical weapons and that its nuclear program was significantly set back by US and Israeli strikes. He also vowed Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, with or without a deal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran "definitely" possesses chemical weapons, warning that this poses an additional threat, according to an interview aired on Tuesday. He also said Iran's nuclear weapons capability was significantly set back by recent US and Israeli operations.
Coverage Comparison
Both reports from the Jerusalem Post cover Netanyahu's remarks in different settings: an interview with Newsmax and a speech at an IDF pilot course graduation ceremony. The first report focuses on Netanyahu's warnings about Iran's chemical and nuclear capabilities and his claim that the US joined the war because it was threatened by Iranian missiles. The second report emphasizes Netanyahu's assurance that Iran will not obtain a nuclear weapon and highlights the preparedness of the Israeli military.
Key Claims
Netanyahu stated, "They definitely have chemical weapons," during an interview on Newsmax's The Record With Greta Van Susteran, calling it "another threat that they pose."
Netanyahu said Iran lost its capability to produce nuclear weapons during Operation Roaring Lion, explaining that US and Israeli strikes destroyed infrastructure and centrifuges and killed 20 top nuclear scientists, "pushing it back considerably."
He warned against complacency, comparing the Iranian nuclear program to cancer: "It's like, you know, when you excise a piece of cancer, a lump of cancer from your body, you know, it may come back. But you know one thing: if you wouldn't do it, you could die."
Netanyahu said the US was threatened by Iranian missiles, which is why President Donald Trump chose to join the war.
At the graduation ceremony for the IDF's 192nd pilot course at Hatzerim Air Force Base, Netanyahu declared: "With or without a deal - Iran will not have nuclear weapons."
He said that if Israel had not acted, Iran would have armed itself with nuclear weapons, and that the "Iranian terrorist regime has suffered a very severe blow."
Defense Minister Israel Katz, speaking at the same ceremony, recalled his previous message to Iran's leadership, saying Israel's "long arm will catch up with them in Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and wherever if they try to harm Israel."
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said the IDF is on immediate alert for takeoff, with hundreds of aircraft ready to respond to any threat.
Perspectives
Israeli Government
Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz assert that Iran possesses chemical weapons and that its nuclear program was significantly degraded by preemptive strikes. They emphasize Israel's military readiness and its determination to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, with or without a diplomatic deal.
Israeli Military
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir emphasized the military's state of high alert and readiness, with hundreds of aircraft prepared to respond to any threat, underscoring the operational posture behind the political statements.
How this outlet told it
Jerusalem Post
Framing: Netanyahu warns of Iranian threat — cautious and warning
Facts Included:
Iran possesses chemical weapons
Iran lost capability to produce nuclear weapons during Operation Roaring Lion
US and Israeli strikes destroyed Iranian infrastructure and killed top nuclear scientists
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimIran possesses chemical weapons. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed this during an interview.
ClaimIran lost its capability to produce nuclear weapons during Operation Roaring Lion. The US and Israeli strikes destroyed a lot of their infrastructure and killed top nuclear scientists.
ClaimThe IDF's 192nd pilot course graduation ceremony was held at Hatzerim Air Force Base. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other defense authorities were present.
ClaimIDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir stated that the IDF is on immediate alert for takeoff. Hundreds of aircraft are ready to respond to any threat.