Israel’s FM Says Nuclear, Missile, and 'Elimination’ Programs Are War Objectives: BILD Reports
Israel’s FM Gideon Sa’ar told BILD that Israel’s war aims include dismantling Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. He dismissed ongoing Geneva talks as ineffective and warned Europe of Iranian threats.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) — Amid ongoing diplomatic negotiations in Geneva between Iran and European powers, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar delivered a stark assessment of his country’s objectives and skepticism toward diplomacy in an exclusive interview with the German newspaper BILD.
According to BILD, Sa’ar laid out three declared objectives of Israel's current war posture: dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, halting its missile development efforts, and targeting what he referred to as the "elimination program" — a term which he did not elaborate but which BILD interpreted as a reference to Iran’s stated threats against Israel.
“We have named the nuclear program, the missile program, and the elimination program as official and declared objectives of this war,” Sa’ar said.
Diplomatic Talks Labeled Futile
As reported by BILD, Sa’ar was openly dismissive of the ongoing talks in Geneva, where Iran is engaged in discussions with Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.
"I don’t believe much in diplomacy with Iran. All previous diplomatic efforts have been unsuccessful," Sa’ar told the newspaper.
He argued that such negotiations have historically served Iran as a means to stall for time while furthering its nuclear agenda.
"They usually use these talks to deceive, to buy time, and to make further progress," he said, according to BILD. “Diplomacy is not a magic word to whitewash the positions of states.”
Sa’ar emphasized that Tehran must halt all uranium enrichment activities and criticized Iran’s lack of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
"At present, they are not even cooperating with the IAEA. The inspections are currently not functioning," he said.
Regime Change Not Official Policy — For Now
In his interview with BILD, Sa’ar clarified that regime change in Iran is not currently a formal objective of the Israeli government. “The security cabinet has so far not defined a regime change as a goal in this war. At least not yet,” he said.
Praise for German Chancellor and Warning to Europe
Sa’ar commended German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for his strong language in support of Israel, noting that Merz’s statement referring to Israeli operations as "dirty work in the name of the free world" reflected strong leadership.
“I think he has demonstrated leadership with a real analysis of the situation and the dangers posed by Iran to the world and the international community,” he told BILD.
The Israeli foreign minister rejected accusations of violating international law, stating, “Defending oneself against someone who threatens annihilation and acts accordingly is not a violation of international law.”
Sa’ar also issued a direct call to European nations, warning that Iran has been actively attempting to harm Jewish and Israeli individuals across Europe.
“European countries have a very important role in this – and we expect them to do everything possible to ensure [the protection of Jewish life],” BILD quoted him as saying.
Trump Decision Expected Soon
BILD also touched on related developments, reporting that former U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to clarify key conditions before potentially joining the military conflict against Iran.
According to the paper, analysts speculate there may be deeper strategic calculations behind Trump’s deliberations.
As tensions rise, Israel’s message — as conveyed by Sa’ar to BILD — remains unequivocal: diplomacy is not working, and its security priorities are focused and resolute.
