Netanyahu vows Iran will not have nuclear weapons ‘with or without an agreement’
Hours after nearly every other Israeli official weighed in on the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally spoke about it, saying he and President Donald Trump “do not always see eye to eye.”
In a Monday evening press conference, Netanyahu said such a disagreement “happens in the best of families.”
“President Trump and I do not always see eye to eye,” Netanyahu said. “He is the president of the United States, and I am the prime minister of Israel. I am responsible for Israel’s security interests, and it needs to be done wisely.”
In his opening remarks, Netanyahu largely avoided addressing the deal directly and focused on what he described as the great achievements of Israel’s campaigns against Iran and across the Middle East.
“With or without an agreement, Iran will not have nuclear weapons — not today and not tomorrow. As long as I am prime minister of Israel, it will not happen,” he said.
“The struggle is not over,” he added. “We will need to remain vigilant, strong and determined to defend ourselves, as required.”
Netanyahu also made clear that Israel does not intend to withdraw from southern Lebanon, Gaza or Syria. “We will remain in the security zones for as long as necessary to defend our country,” he said.
Answering questions from reporters, Netanyahu acknowledged uncertainty about the agreement itself.
“We still do not know what the agreement will be,” he said.
Asked whether the deal was reached against his position, Netanyahu stressed his long-standing relationship with Trump.
“Acting wisely requires a great deal of experience and deep familiarity with the American arena. I believe I am doing this in the best possible way,” he said.
