Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel remains ready to confront Iran despite a newly announced United States-Iran truce taking effect this week.
Speaking in a televised address, Netanyahu stressed that Israel’s military campaign was unfinished, warning that renewed fighting could resume if diplomatic efforts fail to secure objectives.
“Our finger remains on the trigger,” Netanyahu said, describing the ceasefire as a temporary pause rather than a conclusion to hostilities or strategic ambitions.
He argued that Iran emerged from the confrontation weakened, claiming sustained Israeli strikes had damaged military capabilities and reduced Tehran’s operational strength across multiple fronts.
Netanyahu rejected criticism from opposition leaders who accused him of accepting the truce prematurely, insisting Israel coordinated closely with Washington before agreeing to the arrangement.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid labelled the ceasefire a diplomatic failure, arguing Israel had not achieved its declared war goals against Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes.
Netanyahu has repeatedly described Iran’s nuclear ambitions as an existential threat, pledging to dismantle or significantly degrade Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure and regional influence networks.
In the address, he outlined what he called major wartime achievements, including destroying missile factories and reducing Iran’s remaining stockpiles through sustained military pressure.
He also claimed Israeli forces severely damaged nuclear facilities, centrifuge infrastructure, and financial networks linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, while targeting key industrial and transport sites.
Netanyahu praised cooperation with the United States, calling their joint campaign the largest military operation ever conducted in the Middle East and an unprecedented strategic partnership.
The prime minister said operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon would continue independently of the Iran ceasefire, emphasising Israel’s determination to weaken the armed group militarily.
He added that Israeli forces recently struck one hundred Hezbollah targets within minutes, describing the attack as one of the group’s most significant setbacks in recent years.
Netanyahu further said Israel had established expanded security zones across Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, claiming increased territorial control aimed at containing hostile armed organisations.
Later Wednesday, Israel’s military confirmed it continues pursuing its objective of disarming Hezbollah, signalling that regional tensions remain high despite the temporary diplomatic pause.
