Jerusalem, Apr 8 (PTI): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said the two-week ceasefire in the fight against Iran was “not the end of the war” but a “stop on the way”, as he vowed to achieve all war objectives, including the issue of Tehran’s enriched uranium.
The US and Iran earlier agreed on a conditional two-week ceasefire that included the opening of the Strait of Hormuz for shipping.
“If we had not launched Operation Gideon’s Sword and Operation Lion’s Roar against Iran, it would have long ago had nuclear weapons and thousands of missiles to destroy Israel and threaten the existence of us all,” Netanyahu said in a video statement to the press.
“We have set the terror regime back years. The enriched material will leave Iran – through agreement or through renewed combat. Israel and the US see eye to eye on this issue,” Netanyahu said.
Emphasising that Israel “is ready to return to fighting at any time”, the Israeli prime minister warned that “the finger is on the trigger”.
Amid attacks from the opposition charging Netanyahu failed to achieve the objectives of the war and was pushed by the US to agree to a ceasefire, the Israeli premier countered saying that Washington did not “surprise us” but rather coordinated the move with Israel.
“The temporary ceasefire came in coordination with Israel. The Americans did not surprise us at the last minute,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu said that Israel still has more goals to achieve, including the issue of Iran’s enriched uranium, which the prime minister said would either be accomplished through “diplomacy or through force”.
“This is not the end of the war but a stop on the way to achieving all the goals,” he said.
He also claimed that Israel destroyed not only Iran’s missiles but also its ability to manufacture them.
“The Iranians only fired what they had left in stock,” he said.
The Israeli leader also tried to convey that the strong partnership with the US was intact.
“’You guys are great’,” Netanyahu claimed Trump told him. “I can reassure you, Trump and I talk every day, and we smile at each other when we hear the assessments that our relations are not good,” the Israeli leader said.
The Israeli premier also vowed to continue the military operation in Lebanon against Hezbollah, claiming to have dealt a big blow to the Shi’ite faction in today’s offensive.
Several commercial and residential areas in central Beirut were hit by Israeli strikes on Wednesday, hours after the ceasefire was announced with reports of more than 100 people being killed.
The US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders.
The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region. Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which a fifth of global oil passes, had halted shipping and sent global oil prices soaring. PTI HM GSP GSP
(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)
