Netanyahu's corruption trial to resume as Israel lifts war emergency — Iran weighs in on 'dumb' US 'letting him kill diplomacy'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Netanyahu's corruption trial to resume as Israel lifts war emergency — Iran weighs in on 'dumb' US 'letting him kill diplomacy'")
A man burns a picture of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a protest against the US-Israel military action in Iran, near the US Embassy in Manila on April 9, 2026. Inset: Iran's foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi Photograph: (Combination created using images from AFP)
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu heading back to court as war pauses. With the emergency lifted, his corruption trial resumes, reviving legal pressure even as political tensions remain high. Iran reacts.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long-running corruption trial will resume this Sunday (Apr 12), an Israeli court spokesperson confirmed Thursday (Apr 9), just hours after Israel lifted the state of emergency it had imposed during the war with Iran. The emergency declaration, which had shuttered schools and workplaces across the country, was lifted Wednesday evening following a ceasefire agreement. No incoming Iranian missiles had been reported since 3 AM local time. Iran, meanwhile, has weighed in on the imminent trial resumption, with Iran's foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, posting on X, "If the US wishes to crater its economy by letting Netanyahu kill diplomacy, that would ultimately be its choice".
Netanyahu's corruption trial to resume on THIS day
In a statement, Israeli courts noted that "with the lifting of the state of emergency and the return of the judicial system to work, hearings will resume as usual." The proceedings, according to the statement, would run Sunday through Wednesday.
Netanyahu starting wars to escape justice?
Benjamin Netanyahu, aka Bibi, happens to be the first sitting Israeli prime minister to face criminal charges, including bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. The case was filed in 2019 after years of investigation, and the trial began in 2020. Since then, the corruption trial has been repeatedly postponed due to his official duties, including the wars his country is engaged in, with Hamas in Gaza, Iran and Lebanon. No end date is in sight, and the possibility of a jail term hangs over everything.
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Trump's pardon push
Previously, US President Donald Trump added his voice to calls for Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant Netanyahu a pardon, arguing that frequent court appearances compromise his ability to govern. Herzog's office said the justice ministry's pardons department would follow standard procedure, gathering opinions and submitting them to the president's legal adviser for a formal recommendation. Notably, pardons issued mid-trial are rare.
The legal cloud over Netanyahu comes at a politically precarious moment. Israel is due to hold elections in October, and Netanyahu's coalition, the most right-wing in the country's history, is widely expected to lose. The October 2023 Hamas attacks and the wars they triggered have significantly eroded his public standing.
Iran prepared for 'dumb' US to back Netanyahu
Iran's foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, made his own views on the matter pointedly clear. Posting on social media Thursday, he wrote that a region-wide ceasefire, including in Lebanon, would "hasten his jailing." He also took aim at Washington directly, warning that if the US allowed Netanyahu to "kill diplomacy," it would be "cratering its own economy." He added, with notable bluntness: "We think that would be dumb but are prepared for it."
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
