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We’ve Crushed Iran’s Nuclear, Missile Programmes, Netanyahu Boasts
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Saturday that the joint US-Israeli campaign against Iran has succeeded in “crushing” the Islamic republic’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
Netanyahu’s comments came as Iranian and US officials held two rounds of face-to-face talks in Pakistan in a bid to end the Middle East war, with a third round expected later on Saturday evening or Sunday, Iranian state television reported.
“We have succeeded in crushing the nuclear programme, and crushing the missile programme,” Netanyahu said in a televised statement, adding that the war against Tehran had also weakened Iran’s leadership and its regional allies.
“We have reached a situation in which Iran no longer has a single functioning enrichment facility.”
Netanyahu said the United States and Israel had prevented Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb by launching a war in June 2025, followed by the current campaign that began on February 28.
He said the latest war was launched after intelligence indicated that the now deceased Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei had sought to expand the country’s nuclear and missile programmes even after the June 2025 war.
“He sought to bury both missile production and nuclear production deep, deep beneath a mountain, in a way that even B-2 aircraft could not reach. Once again, we could not stand by. We acted,” Netanyahu said.
“Most of its missile production capacity has disappeared. They still have missiles, they still have stockpiles, but it is shrinking.”
He said there were “enormous achievements” in the war effort.
“They are reflected in this weakened regime, which is now even seeking a ceasefire,” he said.
Netanyahu added that, for decades, Iran’s leadership and its allies had threatened Israel.
“They wanted to strangle us, and (now) we are strangling them. They threatened us with annihilation, and now they are fighting for survival.”
On Lebanon, Netanyahu said the country had approached Israel regarding a potential peace deal.
“In the past month, it has reached out several times to begin direct peace talks,” Netanyahu said.
“I have given my approval, but on two conditions: we want the dismantling of Hezbollah’s weapons, and we want a real peace agreement that will last for generations.”
On Friday, Lebanon’s presidency said that a meeting would be held with Israel in Washington next week to discuss a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war and the potential start of negotiations between the neighbours.
Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been clashing since March 2, two days after the start of the Iran war, following rocket fire by the Lebanese armed group at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Khamenei.
Since then, Israel has killed at least 2,020 people in Lebanon, including 248 women, 165 children and 85 medical and emergency personnel, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Israel carried out its largest air attack this week on Lebanon since March 2, which it says left hundreds of Hezbollah fighters dead.
Even as Netanyahu spoke, around 800 Israeli protesters rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest against the wars in Iran and Lebanon, accusing Netanyahu of attempting to derail the ceasefire with Iran.
“In Bibi, we don’t trust,” read one banner, using Netanyahu’s nickname, as protesters chanted: “No to endless wars, no to a government of death”.
Protester Martin Goldberg said Netanyahu was not in favour of a ceasefire with Iran.
“What happened immediately after the ceasefire in Iran, Israel launched one of its largest attacks in Lebanon, which in my opinion, was an attempt to try and sabotage the ceasefire with Iran,” the 61-year-old demonstrator told AFP.
“Israel is pretty openly saying that they’re not interested in a ceasefire in Iran, and they don’t want a peaceful solution in Iran.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Biodun Oyebanji, winner of the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election.
Oyebanji secured a landslide victory, polling 319,224 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Wole Oluyede, who garnered 40,543 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dare Bejide, came a distant third with 12,872 votes.
The election, held across all 16 local government areas of the state, was overshadowed by reports of irregularities and widespread allegations of vote buying, drawing strong condemnation from observers.
The official results were announced on Sunday morning by the Chief Returning Officer, Professor Adenike Oladiji, who declared Oyebanji duly elected after meeting the constitutional requirements.
In her declaration, Professor Oladiji stated: “I, Professor Adenike Oladiji, hereby certify that I am the Returning Officer for the Ekiti State Governorship Election held on June 20, 2026, and that the election was conducted in compliance with the provisions of the law. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of valid votes cast, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected.”
Source: Reuters
Arise Television anchor, Rufai Oseni, has alleged that there may be attempts to prevent key opposition figures, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, from appearing on the ballot for the 2027 general elections.
Oseni’s remark followed a Federal High Court judgment ordering the de-registration of some political parties.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples’ Party (APP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Action Alliance Party (AAP) over alleged constitutional breaches.
The judgment arose from a lawsuit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), which argued that the affected parties failed to meet constitutional and statutory electoral performance requirements necessary for continued recognition as political parties.
Justice Lifu subsequently barred INEC from recognising the affected parties, accepting nominations from them or permitting them to participate in activities related to the 2027 general elections.
The ruling, if upheld, could affect the political ambitions of several politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is the ADC presidential flag-bearer, and Osun State governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party.
But speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Tuesday, Oseni described the court ruling as a “test” of public reaction, warning that more actions could follow ahead of the next general election.
According to him, opposition parties such as the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, should be cautious, claiming that efforts could be made to stop major figures from participating in the election.
Oseni argued that the judgment was part of a broader process aimed at shaping the political landscape ahead of 2027.
He maintained that the ruling came despite some of the affected parties having recorded electoral victories in recent elections.
He warned that Nigerians must remain vigilant to safeguard the country’s democracy, stressing the need for judicial reforms alongside efforts to tackle insecurity.
Oseni said: “NDC, ADC should be careful because there will be attempt, and this is me predicting now, to ensure that Obi, Atiku and other big contenders are not on the ballot.
“This that you saw yesterday is just a test. This is not the real place where the whole thing is going. This is me predicting now.
“You know before you have a show you test the microphone. They want to see the reactions of Nigerians. More is still coming.
“You can see how they carry a judgement when ADC won two House of Representatives seats in Kogi, one Kogi House of Assembly seat, APP one chairmanship seat in Jigawa, Zenith Labour party won several seats in Abia, but they still went ahead and issued judgement for deregistration after the Court of Appeal, a higher court, said it should stay on that.
“If we want to deal with this judicial rascality, can I tell you something? The judge that gave this judgment, nothing will happen to him. Nothing on this earth. They are just coming.
“And who is leading this group? Gbajabiamila. Have you forgotten what Gbajabiamila said on Hon Ajibade’s birthday? So they are just coming. This one is just a test. The next one they will do is the NDC.
“With the way they’re going, if Nigerians don’t shine their eyes when they will finally have this election, you will not have the major contenders in the ballot. This thing they have just done is to test reactions from Nigerians.
“I saw this thing coming. You know we are going into an election in which Atiku Abubakar is the only major candidate from the North. It’s not like the last one you have Kwankwaso that can split the Kano votes. And you have Peter Obi and general consensus that a lot of people are in abject penury, insecurity is raging hard.
“This is the beginning of many things. They are just testing the microphone. It’s engineered. More is coming. Nigerians, it is you that will save your democracy. Judicial reforms have become so important as insecurity in Nigeria.”
