PM Netanyahu Claims Israeli Attack Last Month Hits Iranian Nuclear Program Component

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Source: GPO/Amos Ben Gershom)

JAKARTA - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday Israel's airstrikes against Iran last month hit Tehran's nuclear program elements while lowering its missile defense and production capabilities.

"That's no secret," Netanyahu said in a speech in parliament.

"There are certain components in their nuclear program affected by this attack," Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed.

He did not mention the component, but added that Iran's path to nuclear weapons had not been blocked.

It is known that Israeli fighter jets carried out three waves of attacks on Iranian military targets on October 26, weeks after Iran fired about 200 ballistic missiles against Israel. This follows a previous direct attack in April.

Iran's attack on October 1 was said to be in retaliation for the killing attack of Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, as well as Secretary General Hezbullan Hassan Nassrallah and Senior Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Brigadier General Abbas Nilfurushan in an attack in Beirut.

Meanwhile, the attack in April was intended in retaliation for Israel's deadly attack on Iran's consular in Damascus.

PM Netanyahu, in his speech, provided some further details about what Israel's targets.

Israel's attack in April, he said, was narrower, destroying one of four Russian-packed S-300 surface-to-air missile defense batteries around Tehran, the Iranian capital.

While in the October attack, Israel destroyed three remaining batteries and caused serious damage to Iran's ballistic missile production capabilities and its ability to produce solid fuel, which is used in long-range ballistic missiles.