These remarks either reflect the green lights received from Washington or indicate Tel Aviv's desire to act independently and escalate pressure on the resistance front.
Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been meaningfully silent while observing the indirect negotiations between Iran and the US in recent weeks, took an unprecedented stance on Iran's nuclear program in his latest comments, declaring, "We will destroy Iran’s nuclear reactors and enrichment facilities."
He emphasized, "We will accept nothing less than the complete destruction of Iran's nuclear capabilities." These statements clearly indicate an increase in Israel's threats against Iran's nuclear infrastructure, a threat that was previously articulated through covert operations and limited sabotage.
Netanyahu also described his preferred model for resolving this crisis: "The resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue is only acceptable through the Libyan method." In other words, he is calling for the complete dismantling of Iran's defense and scientific infrastructure, similar to what occurred in Libya.
An analysis of Netanyahu's words suggests that the Israeli regime, amidst sensitive negotiations between Tehran and Washington, has either chosen the path of escalating pressures with a green light from the US or is seeking to solidify its positions independently.
Both scenarios indicate a high likelihood of new operational and security actions in the region; movements that could disrupt diplomatic equations and impact negotiations. The trajectory of developments in the coming days will clarify the exact path of this confrontation.
Attacking the Peace Process and Firm Rejection of a Palestinian State
Alongside his comments on Iran's nuclear program, Netanyahu also addressed developments in the West Asian region.
He pointed to the failure of agreements that were supposed to establish conditions for peace, stating, "We were unable to continue with peace agreements because part of the Arab world was working against us, including the Palestinians."
This statement clearly refers to the changing strategic environment in the region following the Gaza war and is an attempt to blame others for the failures of processes in which various actors played a role.
He added, "The biggest obstacle to peace is the Palestinians' refusal to recognize the Jewish state."
In this section, Netanyahu highlighted his traditional strategy of institutionalizing "Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state," a strategy whose acceptance by the Islamic world would mean overlooking the Palestinian issue.
By declaring that "the establishment of a Palestinian state is a ridiculous idea," Netanyahu effectively confirmed the end of the two-state solution, stating, "We saw what a Palestinian state brought to Gaza." This approach reflects a new discourse that has faced severe criticism from various countries and even within the US among some Democrats.
Confronting Iran's Regional Activities
Linking the process of normalizing relations to Iran's activities, Netanyahu stated, "The normalization agreements that made us happy were neutralized by Iran's efforts to change the Arab world against us."
While the Israeli regime has repeatedly attempted to portray Iran's status as weak and unstable following recent developments in the Shamat region, this statement clearly reflects Tel Aviv's concerns regarding Iran's success in redefining regional relations, especially after the resumption of ties between Tehran and Riyadh and the continuation of regional influence.
He also emphasized the ongoing threat posed by the Islamic Republic, stating, "Iran has committed to destroying Israel because it prevents control over the Middle East."
With these remarks, Netanyahu seeks to forge a kind of regional and international coalition against Tehran and solidify Israel's position as the frontline defender of Western interests.
US Pressures and Israel's Response
Netanyahu, referring to pressures from Washington, said, "At various stages, we were pressured by the Americans not to enter Gaza." However, he emphasized, "The Biden administration threatened to cut off our weapons if we entered Gaza, and we told them we are not a satellite country."
This part of Netanyahu's remarks indicates that while Tel Aviv is militarily dependent on the US, it is striving to highlight its strategic independence, although the reality on the ground suggests otherwise.
These statements could set the stage for potential future Israeli aggressions and a lack of coordination between Tel Aviv and Washington in undertaking such actions.
Netanyahu also targeted critical media, stating, "Misleading media say we are targeting civilians in Gaza."
This attack on the media is an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of international criticisms regarding Israel's violent actions in Gaza.
Security Actions Against Hezbollah
Regarding Hezbollah in Lebanon, Netanyahu proudly spoke of successes in confronting this group, stating, "We dealt a shocking blow to Hezbollah with pager bombings."
He explained that the explosive scanning devices sent from Iran for Hezbollah to check pagers had been bombed.
Netanyahu aimed to depict Hezbollah's military capabilities as having been diminished by referencing the pager bombing program and claims of rapid operational success, stating, "In a few hours, we destroyed the weapons and missiles that Hezbollah had been preparing for 30 years."
Targeting Hassan Nasrallah: A Major and Dangerous Objective
In a significant part of his remarks, Netanyahu addressed the issue of targeting the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, stating, "We decided not to inform the Americans of the plan to target Nasrallah until our fighters were in the air prior to the operation." He continued, "Some individuals are truly irreplaceable, and Nasrallah is one of them, and we killed him."
While Netanyahu attempts to indirectly link the assassination of Hezbollah's late Secretary-General to the disintegration of Hezbollah and the resistance ideology in Lebanon, the unprecedented and grand funeral of Sayyed Hassan and Safieddine in Lebanon demonstrated that the resistance ideology in this country remains alive and dynamic.
NOURNEWS