Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Iran will not obtain nuclear weapons, with or without the emerging U.S.-Iran agreement brokered by President Trump. He declared Israel will preserve freedom of military action in Lebanon and the security buffer zone there, and stated he intends to run in the upcoming elections.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a statement at 22:30 Jerusalem on Monday, reiterating his pledge that Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons — with or without the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding brokered by President Trump. This latest address, in which he also confirmed Israel will remain in the southern Lebanon security buffer zone and announced his intention to run in the upcoming elections, followed a day of escalating reports on the emerging deal. Netanyahu said the agreement is Trump's decision and that Israel retains its own independent interests; he also cited severe damage to Iran's economy and said Israel has pushed back what he termed the immediate threat of annihilation, though the struggle is not over.
The Zioneer has been tracking Netanyahu's messages throughout Monday. At 17:46 Jerusalem, the first wave of reports quoted him saying preventing Iran's nuclear program is his life's mission and vowing that Iran will not obtain nuclear weapons. A press conference at 20:55 Jerusalem (originally scheduled for 21:00 Jerusalem, then moved earlier), reported at 17:46 Jerusalem, featured Netanyahu denying that regime change in Iran was among Israel's operational objectives and comparing Israel's Gaza operations to planned action in the north. By 21:09 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported a statement in which Netanyahu said Israel removed the threat of annihilation. The 22:30 Jerusalem statement added his declaration on the elections. Across the thread, the source of the reports shifted from official channels and Israeli media to live broadcast; the core claim that Iran will not get nuclear weapons has been stated repeatedly by Netanyahu himself, without independent corroboration from U.S. or international sources.
As The Zioneer has reported, Netanyahu told ministers earlier on Monday that Israel's goal is to preserve freedom of action against the heaviest pressures, and IDF representatives clarified troops will not withdraw to the border (20:21 Jerusalem). Separately, on Sunday at 20:52 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Netanyahu told President Trump Israel is not bound by any Lebanon clause in the U.S.-Iran deal. On Thursday, Netanyahu issued a statement saying Israel is not a party to the Iran deal and praised Trump's anti-nuke commitment, as reported at 23:33 Jerusalem on June 11.
It remains unverified whether the U.S.-Iran memorandum will be formally signed as anticipated on Friday, and whether the electronic signing reported by American officials constitutes a final agreement. It is not independently confirmed that no funds have been transferred to Iran, as Vice President Vance stated. Netanyahu's assertion that Iran's economy suffered trillion-dollar losses is an unsubstantiated claim, and his denial of regime change as an operational objective has not been corroborated by other sources.
17 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu: As long as I'm PM, Iran will not get nuclear weapons
- StrongTrump says war with Iran over, Iran agreed to never hold nuclear weapons
- DevelopingTrump: Netanyahu will have no choice but to accept any Iran agreement
- StrongNetanyahu warned ministers: No immunity, not in Beirut nor Tehran
Source and signal
- Internal intake