Netanyahu warns Iran ‘not over’ until uranium stockpile is taken out, refuses to give timeline for ending conflict

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the conflict with Iran is “not over,” warning that significant work remains to curb Tehran’s nuclear capabilities despite a fragile US-backed ceasefire.

“Now, we've degraded a lot of it,” Netanyahu told CBS News, referring to Iran’s nuclear capabilities as well as its regional proxy forces and missile-production capacity.

“But all that is still there, and there's work to be done,” he added.

International nuclear monitors estimate that Iran still possesses roughly 970 pounds of nearly bomb-grade uranium, raising ongoing concerns among Western and Israeli officials over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

Netanyahu said the preferred solution would involve physically removing the enriched uranium from Iran under a negotiated agreement.

“You go in, and you take it out,” he said while discussing possible plans for eliminating the nuclear material.

“If an agreement is reached, it would be the best way,” Netanyahu said.

However, he declined to outline what Israel might do if talks fail or if Iran refuses to comply with international demands regarding its nuclear material.

“I’m not going to give a timetable to it, but I’m going to say that’s a terrifically important mission,” he said.

The Israeli leader said he remains in frequent communication with US President Donald Trump to maintain close coordination between the two allies.

The comments come amid continued uncertainty surrounding the ceasefire arrangement between the United States and Iran, with tensions remaining high across the Middle East despite efforts to prevent further escalation.

Iranian state television reported on Saturday that the warning was issued by the navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a day after US forces struck two Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf region.

The warning came as Washington and Tehran continued to accuse each other of violating the month-old ceasefire that followed weeks of conflict in the region.

According to the US military, American forces disabled two Iranian tankers on Friday that were allegedly attempting to breach the US naval blockade imposed on Iranian ports.

The US military also said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships and carried out strikes on Iranian military facilities near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran responded by warning that future attacks on its commercial shipping would provoke direct retaliation against US assets and allied vessels.

Bahrain’s interior ministry said investigations found the suspects had communicated with the IRGC and collected funds intended to support Iran’s “terrorist operations.”

The Gulf kingdom hosts the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and remains a key strategic ally of Washington in the region.

“We warn governments, including microstates like Bahrain, that siding with the U.S.-backed resolution will bring severe consequences. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital lifeline; do not risk closing it on yourselves FOREVER,” Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security commission in Iran’s parliament, wrote on social media.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes. Iran has largely restricted maritime traffic through the waterway since the war with the US and Israel began on February 28, contributing to sharp rises in global fuel prices and renewed market instability.

US Central Command said on Saturday that American forces had intercepted 58 commercial vessels and disabled four ships since the blockade began on April 13.

Washington has argued that the blockade is necessary to prevent Iran from financing military operations and advancing its disputed nuclear program.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Friday that Tehran was not paying attention to American “deadlines,” according to Iranian state media.

Russia and Saudi Arabia also called for renewed diplomatic efforts to secure a long-term settlement to the conflict.

A senior Iranian official said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was in “complete health” and would eventually appear publicly after remaining out of sight since the war began.

The official said Khamenei had suffered knee and back injuries during the opening attacks of the conflict but was recovering.