Netanyahu: Trump's Mar-a-Lago faces long-range missile threat by Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims Iran is in the process of developing intercontinental ballistic missiles that could hit any American city - including the president's Mar-a-Lago home. Netanyahu made the hair-raising assertion in an interview with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro.
Without providing any evidence, Netanyahu described missiles with an 8,000-kilometer range that could even hit places like Washington DC , New York and even the president's Palm Beach home. Iran is known for possessing the largest arsenal of ballistic missiles in the Middle East, including several long-range types that have previously reached targets as far as Israel . But right now, defense experts say Iran's longest-range missiles are believed to have distance capabilities of about 2,000 km – that would reach as far as Europe.
Netanyahu’s warning comes as Israel and the United States have stepped up intelligence sharing on Iran’s expanding missile and drone programs. US officials have long accused Tehran of seeking intercontinental-range capabilities that could threaten Europe and potentially North America, though the Pentagon has said there is no public evidence Iran has yet tested such a system. In June, the US teamed up with Israeli forces to target Iran's nuclear facilities.
A classified Defense Intelligence Agency report indicated that the strikes only delayed Iran's nuclear program by a few months On the war in Gaza, Netanyahu declared that the conflict is nearing its conclusion, though not yet over. He asserted that Israel has dealt heavy blows to Iran's regional network by crippling many of its proxy forces and Israel has continued strikes into Gaza even as negotiators attempt to reach a peace deal that includes a release of hostages.
'Israel emerged from this horrible day as the strongest power in the Middle East, but we still have things to do to complete the mission. What started in Gaza will end in Gaza with the release of 46 of our hostages, 20 of them who are still alive, and with the end of Hamas rule,' Netanyahu said. The number of hostages is actually 48 outstanding in Gaza as of today.
Last week, European countries decided to reinstate UN sanctions on Iran that had been removed as part of the 2015 nuclear deal . The United States withdrew from the deal in 2018, and it has not been reinstated since.
'That's a really big danger, you don't want to be under the nuclear gun of these people, who are not necessarily rational and chant 'death to America,' Netanyahu said during the interview. The Pentagon and White House did not respond to a request for comment.