Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the joint military campaign carried out by Israel and the United States against Iran had protected the country from what he characterised as the threat of "nuclear annihilation" posed by the Islamic Republic. He also revealed his "life's mission".
Speaking publicly for the first time since Washington and Tehran announced a preliminary agreement early Monday to end the conflict in the Middle East, Netanyahu stated, “The most important thing is that we saved the State of Israel from the threat of nuclear annihilation."
"And what would that mean? It would mean that millions of Israeli citizens -- you who are hearing me now -- all of you would have been in terrible danger of mass death... And we have pushed away from us, for years, this danger of the annihilation of Israel's population," he added, in a televised press conference.
Netanyahu vowed that Iran would be prevented from obtaining nuclear weapons under any circumstances, irrespective of the outcome or provisions of any future agreement.
“With an agreement or without an agreement, Iran will not have nuclear weapons — not today and not tomorrow. As long as I am prime minister of Israel, it will not happen,” he stated, maintaining that this was his “life’s mission.”
Netanyahu further mentioned, "I made no mistake at all... We said we wanted to remove an existential threat hanging over us: first, the nuclear threat -- and we did that, second the missile threat -- and we did that."
Netanyahu sought to emphasise what he described as the key accomplishments of the military campaign, amid mounting criticism over his management of the war and allegations from opponents that he had little influence over Washington's negotiations surrounding the agreement.
He also added that Israeli forces would continue their presence in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria for "as long as necessary".
“We established deep security zones around the State of Israel. We did this in Gaza, in Lebanon, and in Syria. And I want to make it clear: we will remain in these security zones for as long as necessary to protect our country,” Netanyahu remarked.
The US-Iran agreement aims to bring an end to the broader conflict in the Middle East, including the fighting in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have been engaged in clashes with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
"Israel will not allow terrorist organisations to entrench themselves on our borders, dig terror tunnels into our territory, or prepare massacres near our citizens," he stated.
At a press conference in Tel Aviv, Bennett said, “The term of this Netanyahu government began with a civil war, continued with the October 7 massacre, and is now ending with a historic failure against Iran.”
He added that under his leadership, Israel would adopt “a return to the security concept of fast, strong, and decisive wars,” instead of what he described as “dragging things out” under Netanyahu, and would also focus on “revitalizing the national public diplomacy directorate… that this government dismantled.”
Bennett also proposed sweeping policy changes, including “mandatory conscription for all and halting the funding of draft evasion,” arguing that when the IDF lacks soldiers, “you have to conquer the same places over and over again, and you can’t win that way.”
On Iran policy, he described an “octopus doctrine,” in which Israel would simultaneously work “with one hand, preventing Iran from going nuclear, and with the other, accelerating the collapse of the regime with political, economic, technological, and military tools.”
He concluded that “The countdown to replacing the regime in Iran will begin as soon as the government in Israel is replaced,” and said he would have handled diplomacy differently, claiming he would have used his “credit with the president most sympathetic to Israel that we have ever had, solely for the benefit of Israel’s national interests,” in what was seen as a jab at US President Donald Trump’s comments regarding Netanyahu’s legal troubles.
Strait Of Hormuz to reopen by Friday, says Trump
Meanwhile, Iran and the United States' agreement to end the Middle East conflict prompted ships to resume transiting the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump stated that the crucial oil passage would be “completely open” by Friday, as per AFP.
The reopening of this key global energy corridor would represent a significant milestone in resolving months of violence and economic disruption that began after US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.
Trump stated, "Ships are starting to move, many loaded up with Oil, out of the Strait of Hormuz," noting that he did not "think we will need much help" keeping the waterway open.
Iranian state media reported that three oil tankers and two fully loaded cargo ships had crossed through waters that had previously been under a US naval blockade.
The report said Iran had shut down the Strait of Hormuz at the beginning of the conflict, which caused a sharp rise in global oil prices and sparked concerns about sustained inflation. In response, the United States restricted maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports.
It was also stated that the US, Iran, and mediator Pakistan planned to formally sign the peace agreement in Switzerland on Friday.
