"Iran is weeks away from a nuclear weapon."
If that sounds familiar, it's because you've likely heard it many times before—from one man in particular.
In a striking compilation aired recently, CNN pieced together decades’ worth of footage showing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly warning the world that Iran is on the brink of developing a nuclear bomb. The earliest clip dates back to 1996, when Netanyahu was addressing the U.S. Congress as a newly elected prime minister. In it, he sounded the alarm that Iran was just a few short years away from obtaining nuclear capability.
Fast-forward nearly three decades, and the message has remained virtually unchanged.
From impassioned speeches at the United Nations—like the infamous 2012 presentation featuring a cartoon bomb diagram—to high-stakes meetings with U.S. presidents and global leaders, Netanyahu has stuck to a consistent refrain: Iran is a looming existential threat that must be stopped before it’s too late.
But as CNN’s montage subtly suggests, the repetition of these warnings over the course of 28 years raises an uncomfortable question:
How close is Iran, really? And have these warnings become more political than factual?
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