🇮🇱 Prime Minister reaffirmed Israel’s long-standing red line regarding Iran’s nuclear program, stating that “as long as I am the Prime Minister of Israel — Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.” Netanyahu said he and President Trump remain in full agreement on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear capabilities.
🗣️ According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Netanyahu also described disagreements with Washington over response policy following Iranian missile attacks. He said President Trump questioned whether Israelis had been killed in the attack, while Netanyahu responded that Israel would not wait for casualties before retaliating against attacks on its territory.
🤝 Netanyahu additionally rejected claims that Israel operates under American direction, stating: “We are not subordinate to the Americans; we are their allies.”
🛡️ Defense Minister stated that the United States is pursuing an agreement with Iran based on American interests while maintaining the shared objective of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Katz said Israel expects any arrangement to also address missile capabilities and Iranian-backed proxy activity.
🎯 Katz stated that Israel and the United States had inflicted “heavy blows” on Iran that significantly degraded Iranian capabilities. He said Prime Minister Netanyahu and he had instructed the IDF to prepare operationally in order to preserve Israel’s ability to independently confront future Iranian nuclear threats.
🏔️ Katz also reaffirmed that Israel would not withdraw from security zones in Lebanon, Syria, or Gaza. He stated that the IDF would continue operating from Mount Hermon, the Lebanese mountains, Samaria, and most areas of Gaza against jihadist threats following the lessons of October 7.
🚧 Regarding Judea and Samaria, Katz stated that the IDF would remain inside terror camps in northern Samaria that had been evacuated of residents, adding that similar policies could be expanded to additional areas if necessary.
⚓ The Washington Post reported that Qatar attempted to secure Iranian assurances at the beginning of the war that the Ras Laffan gas complex would not be targeted. According to the report, Doha proposed a temporary halt in gas production in an effort to increase economic pressure on the United States and Israel to end the conflict more quickly.
🏭 The report stated that Iran never provided formal guarantees regarding the facility. Despite the back-channel contacts, Iran later struck the Ras Laffan complex, causing damage and disrupting energy operations. The report added that the CIA and senior Trump administration officials were aware of the contacts, and that the incident complicated Qatar’s mediation role between Washington and Tehran.
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