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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced Friday that Iran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon has been delayed by "at least two to three years" due to the ongoing conflict between the two nations.
Speaking to German newspaper Bild during diplomatic talks in Geneva between Iran, Germany, France, and the U.K., Saar outlined Israel's position on the Iranian nuclear threat.
He emphasized Israel's commitment to eliminating the threat posed by Iran's nuclear program while clarifying that regime change is not currently a defined war objective.
"The Security Cabinet has not yet defined regime change as a goal in this war. At least not yet," Sa'ar stated.
The Israeli foreign minister identified three official war goals: "We have named the nuclear program, the missile program, and the elimination program as official and declared goals of this war."
Saar expressed strong doubts about the effectiveness of diplomatic engagement with Tehran, calling previous efforts unsuccessful.
"I don't really believe in diplomacy with Iran. All previous diplomatic efforts have been unsuccessful," he said.
The minister criticized Iran's approach to negotiations, suggesting the country uses talks to buy time and advance its nuclear program.
He noted that Tehran is not currently cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), hampering inspection efforts.
US President Donald Trump made separate statements claiming Iran could obtain nuclear weapons "within a few weeks, certainly within a few months."
Speaking at his Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey, Trump dismissed intelligence assessments suggesting Iran has not yet reached nuclear capability.
"My intelligence organization is wrong. I say this clearly," Trump stated.
Trump also addressed potential military intervention, saying ground forces would be "the last thing we would want to do" while noting that Israel's capacity to strike Iranian nuclear facilities is "limited."
Sa'ar praised German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for describing Israeli military strikes as "dirty work" on behalf of the free world, calling it a demonstration of "leadership strength with a real analysis of the situation and the dangers that Iran poses to the world."
The Israeli foreign minister concluded with a warning to European governments about Iranian threats to Jewish and Israeli communities in Europe.
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