This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said on Monday that he still doesn't know the details of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, but insisted that Tehran would never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, with or without a deal.
Speaking at a press conference, Netanyahu described preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb as his “life’s mission” and pledged: “As long as I am prime minister of Israel, this will not happen.”
Speaking about his relationship with US President Trump, Netanyahu said that “many times we see eye to eye, and there are also cases in which we see less eye to eye. I am responsible for Israel’s security interests. I stand up for them”.
He also said that Israeli troops will remain in the buffer zone in southern Lebanon “for as long as necessary,” despite Iran’s claims that the MoU would see the end of fighting in the country.
“Iran wanted us to withdraw from there. That did not happen. Do you know why it did not happen? Among other reasons, because I stood very, very firm. I was very, very resolute on this matter. And I think our American friends respect that resoluteness and that firm stance,” he said.
While refraining from criticising the reported US-Iran agreement, Netanyahu noted that Israel had not yet seen its full details.
He insisted, however, that any such arrangement would not restrict Israel’s determination to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, nor compromise its freedom of action against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Netanyahu stressed that Israel is not a signatory to the US-Iran deal.
“This agreement was made by the United States, by the president of the United States. And he believes that he can truly combine both the opening of the [Strait of Hormuz] and the cancellation of the nuclear programme… And I repeat and say that this is his decision, and he is leading it,” Netanyahu said.
“Of course, I expressed my view in various conversations. On the other hand, I said that we have our own interests – first of all, regarding the nuclear threat. I am committed that there will not be such a threat facing us.”
The prime minister argued that Israel’s military campaign against Iran, carried out alongside the US, had removed what he called an “immediate threat of annihilation”.
He claimed Israeli and American forces had destroyed key nuclear facilities, missile production sites, military infrastructure and senior Iranian leaders, causing damage worth “hundreds of billions of dollars”.
Netanyahu said Iran had been “racing toward a nuclear weapon” before Israel launched Operation Rising Lion and warned that without Israeli action, Tehran would already possess atomic bombs.
While hailing the operation as a historic success, Netanyahu stressed that the campaign against Iran was not over and that Israel would remain vigilant against both Tehran and its regional proxies.
He also used the speech to defend his handling of the war against Hamas and Hezbollah, saying Israel had eliminated most of Hamas’s senior leadership, returned all hostages from Gaza and prevented Hezbollah’s Radwan Force from carrying out a planned invasion of northern Israel.
Netanyahu highlighted Israel’s capture of strategic Hezbollah positions, including the Beaufort Ridge, and said security zones established in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria would remain in place for as long as necessary.
The prime minister said Israel had fundamentally changed its security doctrine since the October 7 attacks by adopting a more proactive approach against emerging threats.
He concluded by saying Israel was “stronger than ever” while Iran’s regional network was “weaker than ever,” and pledged to continue building military strength, regional alliances and domestic defence industries.
This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
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