Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Newsmax Tuesday that the war Israel and the United States are involved with against Iran happened in part because Iran was "on the verge of making nuclear weapons."

Netanyahu told "The Record With Greta Van Susteren" that the timing was close.

"We pushed that immediate threat away. We destroyed a lot of their infrastructure, a lot of their centrifuges, a lot of the associated factories and facilities that they use for manufacturing nuclear weapons," he said.

"We knocked out 20 of their top nuclear scientists — 20 of their top nuclear scientists. So we pushed it back considerably."

Netanyahu said while Iran no longer has the capability to construct a nuclear bomb, the desire remains.

"It's like when you excise a lump of cancer from your body, you know it may come back. But you know one thing: If you wouldn't do it, you could die," he said.

"And Israel was obviously placed with an existential threat. And America was threatened with a very great danger."

Netanyahu said that as long as even a small portion of Iran's population chants "death to America" and similar threats, giving the regime ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. — especially if armed with nuclear weapons — would put "every single American" in danger.

Netanyahu said he remains concerned that the United States may provide F-35 jet fighters to Turkey.

"I think it's a mistake," he said, arguing that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government threatens Greece, occupies northern Cyprus, and advocates for Israel's destruction.

"His number two a few days ago said the Jewish state has no place among the nations," Netanyahu said.

"If this regime that often condemns America and often attacks America verbally should have the weapons like the F-35, I think it will greatly destabilize the region."

Regarding his relationship with President Donald Trump, Netanyahu pointed out that Trump "said it couldn't be better."

"But as you say, friends can have agreements and disagreements," he said.

"We agree on just about everything, but there are areas of disagreement. I just mentioned one of them, which is providing F-35s to Turkey."

Netanyahu described their contacts as open and fair.

"I feel confident enough in our friendship, in our alliance, that I can tell him what I think is important for the interests of protecting Israel," he said.

"And he tells me what he thinks is important for the interests of the United States. This is a real friendship, a real alliance."

Netanyahu said the issues surrounding Hamas are equally important to both.

"They don't want to disarm, and they certainly don't want Gaza to be demilitarized. They just want to continue tyrannizing the Gaza population there and launching terrorist raids into Israel," he said.

"They can't do that right now because we're enveloping them with our brave soldiers."

Netanyahu said Israel and the United States have worked together to advance freedom, but he credited America with playing the leading role.

"The United States of America has been the sentinel of security and peace and freedom," he said.

"And if it weren't for the United States, Nazism could have won. Stalinism could have won," Netanyahu continued.

"And we would have entered into a dark age for God knows how many hundreds of years."

The prime minister said all of Israel thanks America.

"The United States has been the guardian of freedom, and we in Israel, a free democratic country, we salute the United States."

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