‘War saved Israel from nuclear annihilation’: Netanyahu says Israeli forces to stay in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said the joint military campaign carried out by Israel and the United States against Iran had protected Israel from what he described as the threat of “nuclear annihilation”.

Speaking at a televised press conference, his first public appearance since Washington and Tehran announced an agreement to end the Middle East war, Netanyahu claimed the military operation had achieved key objectives and significantly weakened Iran’s capabilities.

“The most important thing is that we saved the State of Israel from the threat of nuclear annihilation,” Netanyahu said.

He asserted that the military campaign had targeted critical infrastructure across Iran and created a strong deterrent against future threats. According to him, the operation had established a “credible military threat” that would support any future understanding reached with Tehran.

Netanyahu also made it clear that Israel would not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons under any circumstances.

“With an agreement or without one, Iran will not have nuclear weapons,” he said.

“Not today and not tomorrow,” he added, saying that the joint US and Israeli operation had struck “every possible infrastructure target” in Iran.

Israeli troops to remain in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria

Netanyahu said Israeli forces would continue to stay in security zones in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria for as long as the government considered it necessary.

“We established deep security zones around the State of Israel. We did this in Gaza, in Lebanon, and in Syria,” Netanyahu said.

“And I want to make it clear: we will remain in these security zones for as long as necessary to protect our country.”

The remarks came after the United States and Iran reached an agreement aimed at ending the broader regional conflict, including fighting in Lebanon involving Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces.

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Netanyahu confirms election plans

Addressing domestic political questions, Netanyahu also announced that he would contest the Israeli elections scheduled later this year.

The veteran leader, who has led Israel through years of conflict across multiple fronts and is currently facing a corruption trial, has come under increasing criticism from opposition parties over his handling of the war.

Opposition leaders have accused him of failing to achieve several objectives set after Hamas launched its October 2023 attack on Israel.

Despite the criticism, Netanyahu said he remained determined to seek another term in office.

“I am going to run in the elections and intend to win,” he said.

The comments marked Netanyahu’s first detailed public response after the announcement of the US-Iran agreement that seeks to bring an end to the conflict that intensified following US and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year.