Netanyahu Talks Hostages, Herzl, Iran on Fox News \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned in a Fox News interview that Iran is rapidly pursuing nuclear weapons and poses an existential threat to Israel. He also discussed the ongoing hostage situation in Gaza and paid tribute to Zionist visionary Theodor Herzl. An Iranian official’s disturbing Instagram post further escalated nuclear tensions.
Quick Looks
- Platform: Pre-recorded interview with Mark Levin on Fox News
- Iran Warning: Netanyahu says Iran will “use” a nuclear weapon
- Nuclear Claim: Accuses IRGC of rushing weaponization after Hezbollah collapse
- Gaza Hostages: Says Israel is doing everything to avoid civilian harm
- Historical Influence: Chooses Theodor Herzl as his guiding figure
- Herzl Praise: Called him a visionary who foresaw the Holocaust
- Iranian Threat: Tehran official posts nuclear strike image targeting Israel
- Image Platform: Instagram story shared by advisor Mehdi Mohammadi
Deep Look
Netanyahu Issues Dire Iran Warning, Cites Herzl as Moral Compass in Fox Interview
In an emotionally charged and politically strategic interview with Fox News’ Mark Levin, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered an ominous warning that Iran is actively moving toward nuclear weaponization and, unlike other nuclear-armed states, has the intent to use such weapons against Israel. The interview, aired on Life, Liberty & Levin, offered a multi-layered glimpse into Netanyahu’s worldview—where existential threats, historical identity, and modern geopolitics converge.
Speaking from a place of both personal conviction and political urgency, Netanyahu asserted that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had accelerated its nuclear ambitions following the weakening of its regional proxy alliances, notably the collapse of Hezbollah’s influence and a general decline in the so-called Axis of Resistance—a reference to Iran-aligned militant groups across Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Gaza.
“We saw it. We said, within a year they will have a nuclear bomb, and they will use it,” Netanyahu warned. “Unlike other nuclear powers, they will actually use it, and they will wipe us out.”
The starkness of that statement set the tone for the rest of the interview. It was not simply a reiteration of Israel’s longstanding opposition to a nuclear Iran; it was a declaration that Iran’s intentions are genocidal, and that time is critically short.
Nuclear Intentions or Nuclear Deterrence?
While previous Israeli leaders—and even Netanyahu in earlier terms—have focused on containing or delaying Iran’s nuclear capability, this time he went a step further. The framing was not just about enrichment levels or centrifuge counts. It was about intent and ideology.
In Netanyahu’s view, Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons merely for deterrence or regional leverage. Rather, he portrayed the regime in Tehran as ideologically committed to Israel’s destruction, suggesting that once the capability exists, the decision to use it would be swift.
This marks a significant rhetorical escalation, and it comes at a time when international negotiations with Iran have largely stalled. With global attention divided between wars in Ukraine, the Taiwan Strait, and Gaza, Netanyahu is attempting to reassert the urgency of the Iranian nuclear threat on the world stage.
The Hostage Crisis in Gaza: Balancing Morality and Military
When asked about the ongoing hostage situation in Gaza, Netanyahu shifted to Israel’s conduct in wartime, positioning the Israeli military as a force constrained by ethics.
“We are doing everything we can not to cause them harm,” he said, referring to hostages still believed to be held by Hamas.
“Israel does everything in its power to avoid civilian casualties. Hamas does everything in its power to do the opposite.”
This binary moral framing—Israel as restrained, Hamas as reckless—is a recurring theme in Israeli public diplomacy. Netanyahu’s comments reflect both internal political pressures and international scrutiny, as global organizations and rights groups continue to monitor civilian casualties in Gaza and humanitarian access in conflict zones.
While the hostages remain a national trauma in Israel, Netanyahu also uses their plight to reinforce his broader point: the enemies of Israel are not rational actors and must be treated as such.
Theodor Herzl: A Timeless Guide in a Turbulent Era
In one of the most personal moments of the interview, Levin asked Netanyahu who—if given the chance—he would most want to meet from history. Netanyahu answered instantly: Theodor Herzl.
“Theodor Herzl,” he said again, when asked whose voice guides him in decision-making.
Herzl, the 19th-century Viennese journalist and founder of modern political Zionism, famously predicted the dangers European Jews would face if they remained without a sovereign homeland. Netanyahu referenced Herzl’s foresight, noting how he warned of Jewish annihilation and urged the restoration of a Jewish state in Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel).
“[Herzl] was 36 when he said that the Jewish people would be annihilated by the forces of antisemitism in Europe,” Netanyahu recalled. “He died at 44, and within eight years, he lit a fire in the Jewish people. Fifty years later, there was a Jewish state.”
This invocation of Herzl serves not only as emotional inspiration, but also as a justification for Netanyahu’s hardline stance on national security. Just as Herzl saw the storm of antisemitism long before the Holocaust, Netanyahu casts himself as a leader seeing the storm clouds of Iranian aggression gathering now—and acting before it’s too late.
Social Media Warfare: Iranian Official Posts Nuclear Strike Image
In a chilling counterpoint to Netanyahu’s warnings, Mehdi Mohammadi, a senior advisor to the Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, posted an image on Instagram depicting a nuclear attack on Israel. The post, which featured two mushroom clouds and widespread radioactive fallout, went viral after being reported by The Jerusalem Post.
Though unofficial, the image reflects an increasingly militant tone from within the Iranian political elite. While Tehran publicly insists its nuclear program is peaceful, posts like this reinforce suspicions about Iran’s true intentions and amplify Netanyahu’s alarmist—but perhaps justified—warnings.
The timing of the image, surfacing within hours of Netanyahu’s interview, suggests that Tehran may be using digital propaganda as a psychological weapon, testing the international response to such escalatory messaging.
Global Stakes: A Shifting Strategic Chessboard
Netanyahu’s appearance on American television comes at a time of significant realignment in the Middle East. The Abraham Accords are under strain. U.S. support, while strong in rhetoric, is more cautious in action. Russia and China are deepening ties with Iran. And regional actors like Turkey and Saudi Arabia are recalibrating their foreign policy priorities.
In this dynamic environment, Netanyahu is reasserting Israel’s central strategic doctrine: that Jewish survival requires preemption, strength, and moral clarity.
His warnings about Iran are not just aimed at American viewers but at global leaders who may be lulled into complacency as the world’s crises compete for attention. In Netanyahu’s narrative, Iran is not a distant threat, but the next imminent one—and Israel will act, alone if necessary.
Netanyahu Talks Hostages
You must Register or Login to post a comment.