By: Fern Sidman

In a bold and unambiguous statement reflecting both strategic confidence and geopolitical resolve, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Thursday that Israel possesses the independent capability to strike and destroy all of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure—including the deeply fortified Fordow enrichment facility—regardless of whether the United States decides to join the military operation.

In an interview with Israel’s public broadcaster Kan News, and reported by World Israel News, Netanyahu dismissed the assertions of several security analysts who have claimed that only the U.S. possesses the kind of advanced “bunker buster” munitions needed to eliminate Iran’s subterranean nuclear sites.

“We will achieve all our goals and hit all of their nuclear facilities. We have the capability to do that,” Netanyahu said firmly, responding to questions about the widely held belief that U.S. assistance is essential for such a mission.

The Fordow facility—buried deep beneath a mountain near the holy city of Qom—has long been considered nearly impervious to conventional airstrikes. Western intelligence estimates have placed its depth between 80 and 100 meters underground, protected by layers of reinforced concrete and rock. Military experts, including former IDF commanders, have routinely stated that only the United States’ 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, delivered by a B-2 stealth bomber, could reach and neutralize the site.

Yet, Netanyahu’s remarks suggest Israel has developed alternative capabilities or tactics that render such limitations obsolete—or that Jerusalem is willing to take unprecedented risks to achieve strategic objectives. As the World Israel News report emphasized in its coverage, the Prime Minister’s tone projected not only defiance of Iranian nuclear ambitions, but a clear signal to the international community: Israel will not wait for permission to defend itself.

Netanyahu’s comments arrive amid growing uncertainty over whether the United States, under President Donald J. Trump, will formally join Israel’s expanding military campaign against Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. Despite Trump’s long-standing alliance with Israel and his historically aggressive posture toward Iran, the White House has adopted a posture of deliberate ambiguity in recent days.

Initially, U.S. officials had indicated a decision could come within 24–48 hours. But on Thursday night, as World Israel News reported, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that President Trump would take up to two weeks to decide whether to engage militarily in the ongoing Israeli-Iranian conflict.

“Based on the fact that there is a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future—I will make my decision on whether or not to go within the next two weeks,” Leavitt said, reading a prepared statement from the President.

This statement appears to reflect Trump’s growing internal struggle between his desire for diplomatic flexibility and his long-standing hawkish instincts. Speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the President told reporters, “I may do it, I may not do it. Nobody knows what I’m going to do,” before adding that Iran is “totally defenseless”—a statement interpreted by World Israel News and others as a veiled threat of overwhelming military retaliation if diplomacy collapses.

When asked by Kan News whether Israel expects or needs American intervention, Netanyahu was characteristically pragmatic. “Whether [Trump] wants to join or not — that’s entirely his decision,” he said. “He’ll do what’s good for the United States, and I’ll do what’s good for the State of Israel.”

Invoking a tone of mutual respect and strategic divergence, Netanyahu added, “As the saying goes — every contribution is welcome.”

As the World Israel News report noted, Netanyahu’s remarks reveal an unwavering Israeli determination to achieve its objectives, even in the absence of full-scale U.S. engagement. This position is consistent with Israel’s long-standing doctrine of strategic self-reliance, particularly when it comes to existential threats such as a nuclear-armed Iran.

Behind the public declarations lies a broader question: what capabilities does Israel truly possess to reach and destroy Fordow and other hardened targets without American assistance?

Some analysts cited by World Israel News speculate that Israel may now possess or have adapted its own specialized munitions—either through covert acquisition, technological innovation, or unacknowledged collaboration with U.S. defense firms—that enable penetration of deep targets.

Others believe Israel might instead focus on disabling external infrastructure—such as power supplies, air vents, access points, or transport routes—to render the facility inoperable rather than directly destroying its fortified inner sanctum.

Regardless of the precise methods, Netanyahu’s statements signal to Tehran—and to global powers—that Israel has both the intent and confidence to act decisively, alone if necessary.

President Trump’s hope for renewed diplomacy with Iran—despite the active conflict—has not gone unnoticed. The idea of a “substantial chance of negotiations” being floated in parallel with ongoing Israeli airstrikes reflects a familiar Trumpian pattern of maximizing pressure while keeping the door to diplomacy open.

Yet, as the World Israel News report pointed out, the divergence in urgency between Washington and Jerusalem is growing increasingly stark. While the U.S. weighs diplomatic possibilities over a fortnight, Israel is already deep into a full-spectrum air campaign, targeting nuclear, missile, and command-and-control assets across Iran.

As Prime Minister Netanyahu positions Israel as both the tip of the spear and the sole guarantor of its national survival, the question of U.S. involvement remains pivotal but secondary. Israel, he insists, will act regardless of international consensus or coalition-building.

The report at World Israel News captured the essence of this moment: a nation resolved, a prime minister unyielding, and a global power weighing its role as the Middle East hurtles toward a decisive inflection point. Whether the United States joins the operation or chooses to remain on the periphery, Israel’s message is unmistakable: the countdown to Iran’s nuclear ambitions has expired, and the Jewish state intends to write the final chapter—with or without backup.