Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Friday Israel briefed the US before launching an attack on Iran, adding US President Donald Trump will be left to decide whether to join IDF in striking Iranian nuclear sites.
"The United States knew about the attack in advance - what they do now, I leave to the president," Netanyahu said. "Trump makes decisions independently."
"Right now, the goal is to first address Iran's missile production capacity."
"I told President [Donald] Trump - surprise is the key factor for success. It created a state of chaos in Iran," Netanyahu said. "On October 7, it seemed as though we were facing annihilation - today, we are on the brink of a historic turning point. I also intend to speak directly to the Iranian people today, as I believe there are tremendous opportunities here.”
"There will be a price, and we are preparing to minimize it in various ways," Netanyahu said. "Do not be euphoric - we need humility and responsibility. At the moment, they are organizing; we must assume that there will be an attack against us, and it could come in waves of very severe strikes."
"I set the implementation date for the end of April, but for various reasons it was postpone," Netanyahu said. "The exact date was set on the recommendation of the IDF.
"I was unable to attack Iran in my previous terms. I wanted to twice and was unable to muster the majority.
"Everyone at the top of our security system understood the need, even though there were doubts."
Turning point in the war?
Netanyahu turned the conversation to reflect on the war and the hostages, saying, “I believe that success on this front (against Iran) will also have a positive impact on the Gaza issue and the hostages."