Yechiel Leiter said Israel’s operation could last ‘weeks.’
Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel “Michael” Leiter, claimed that Israel had set Iran’s nuclear program back significantly after a series of strikes on the country, but that the full operation could take “weeks.”
“We’ve set them back dramatically, but not enough,” Leiter told “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz. “And that’s why this series of strikes is not going to end today or tomorrow, but only at a period of time, which may take weeks, when we are absolutely certain that the nuclear infrastructure with the intention of weaponizing and threatening Israel is terminated.”
The two countries have been engaged in a deadly back-and-forth since Israel launched what it called preemptive strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, scientists and military leadership.
Asked by Raddatz if Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was off of Israel’s target list, Leiter declined to rule that out.
“I think it’s fair to say that nobody who’s threatening the destruction of Israel should be off the target list,” Lieter said. “The idea is to neutralize and terminate the Iranian intention of destroying Israel through nuclear weapons and through ballistic missiles. And anybody who gets in the way of that, or — or is actually advancing, that cause of destroying Israel is obviously somebody we’re going to have to deal with.”
Leiter said that Israel sustained “significant attacks” on Saturday night, which killed more than 10 people and wounded hundreds after Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles that struck targets across the country.
“We have some good defense systems, anti-missile defense systems, but they’re not hermetically sealing the skies. So there’s about 10 to 15 percent of these ballistic missiles that get through.”
Here are more highlights from Leiter and former CENTCOM commander Gen. Joseph Votel’s interviews on “This Week”:
Leiter on destroying Iran’s Fordow nuclear site
Raddatz: Let’s talk about Fordow. It’s deep in a mountainside. There are those who do not believe you can destroy Fordow without U.S. help and those bunker-busting bombs. Is it possible without U.S. help?
Leiter: The help that we’ve asked from the United States is confined to defensive posture. We’re very, very thankful to President Trump and the administration for the THAAD missile, anti-missile defense system, for the Aegis missile defense system, but it’s only in a defensive posture. We have a number of contingencies, will — which will enable us to deal with Fordow. Not everything is a matter of, you know, taking to the skies and bombing from afar.
Raddatz: But you’re certain you can wipe out Fordow?
Leiter: We’re certain — we’re — we’re certain that we can set back the nuclear weapons system development within Iran for a very, very long time.
Votel on potential U.S. involvement
Raddatz: But you say delay, so you’re confident they couldn’t destroy [Fordow] without the help of the U.S.?
Votel: Well, I don’t know the full range of all capabilities that the — that the Israelis have, their very sophisticated, savvy military. There are lots of tools that are available to them. I think the conventional wisdom is that the bunker busters, the penetrating munitions that are needed to go after something like this are largely still within the inventory of the United States. So, yeah, I think — I think — I think probably would have some difficulty at doing that and, again, the Iranians are demonstrating some level of resolve here. And we can’t dismiss the fact that they will continue to pursue this program or even try to make a dash to take what they have now and try to — try to create some kind of weapon.
Votel on the possibility of escalation
Raddatz: And how likely do you think it is that this war spreads, that this becomes a regional war involving the U.S.?
Votel: Yeah. I think this largely depends on the directions that the leaders of both of these countries go. It’s not particularly in Iran’s interest to try to spread this, that they don’t need to earn the anger of others in the region. They ultimately have to — have to live there. So, it doesn’t necessarily make a lot of sense for them to widen that. But again, as this progresses as the Iranians run out of options, and they don’t have a lot of great options right now, frankly. They’re fighting a little bit blind in terms of what they’re doing. They don’t have great options. And as they run out of the things that are available to them right now and they begin to reach out and look for other ways to have an impact, that’s when I think the concern for regionalization of the conflict becomes greatest.
