Prime Minister Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel changed a long-standing constraint by sending fighter jets over Iran, creating conditions for the regime's collapse. He dismissed claims of subordination to President Trump, calling both leaders independent. Separately, President Trump told Fox News he is disappointed Israel hasn't defeated Hezbollah and floated giving the job to Syria; Syrian President al-Sharaa said the remarks were misinterpreted and do not mean Syrian forces would enter Lebanon. Netanyahu also ordered an investigation into whether Channel 12 obtained advance knowledge of the war with Iran via a Shin Bet leak, and Channel 13 reported that Iranian agents allegedly attempted to kidnap former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar in the UAE.
Prime Minister Netanyahu's Sunday evening press remarks, issued at 23:36 Jerusalem, expanded on themes he first introduced in a statement at 23:17 Jerusalem and further developed in a 21:36 Jerusalem briefing. In the 23:36 statement, Netanyahu declared that Israel's IAF strike on Iranian soil had broken what was long considered a red line, saying "You cannot send our military to Iran. We changed that." He rejected narratives of subordination to President Trump, asserting both leaders act as independents. The remarks build on his earlier claim, at 21:36 Jerusalem, that Israel had inflicted hundreds of billions of dollars in damage on Iran's IRGC and was creating conditions for the regime's fall — a framing he had also used in the 23:17 statement about operational independence and the regime's vulnerability.
Separately, President Trump told Fox News he was "disappointed Israel cannot put Hezbollah away" and suggested Syria might do a "more precise job." Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa called the remarks a misinterpretation, telling reporters that Trump was exploring whether Syria could play a constructive role through Lebanese state institutions. Al-Sharaa also criticized Hezbollah's past intervention in Syria, calling it a mistake, and said the group does not represent all Lebanese Shiites.
On the domestic and security front, Netanyahu ordered Shin Bet chief David Zini to investigate how Channel 12 obtained advance knowledge of the start of the war with Iran — a leak probe focusing on whether sensitive information was passed before hostilities. Additionally, Channel 13 reported that former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and his wife attended a high-level security conference in the UAE hosted by Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, where an unusual security alert forced their immediate evacuation to Israel. The report claims Iranian agents attempted to kidnap Bar; details remain classified.
As The Zioneer reported on June 21 (23:57 Jerusalem), Netanyahu has been emphasizing operational independence and the conditions he says led to the Iranian regime's vulnerability. The new remarks reinforce that messaging while opening additional fronts: a potential Syrian role in Lebanon and an alleged Iranian kidnapping plot against a former Israeli security chief. Importantly, the source quality of the channel 13 kidnapping report — from a single Israeli news outlet — remains at the unconfirmed level, as no official confirmation or denial has been provided by the Shin Bet or the Prime Minister's Office.
3 developments
- StrongCNN: Netanyahu tells Trump Israel does not see itself bound by demand for permanent Lebanon ceasefire
- StrongNetanyahu warned ministers: No immunity, not in Beirut nor Tehran
- StrongNetanyahu: We sent our pilots over Iran, changing a long-held constraint
- StrongTrump: Netanyahu 'great guy,' told him to be 'gentler' with Lebanon — Hezbollah drone intercepted as he speaks
Source and signal
- Internal intake