Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran would never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons under his leadership and reaffirmed that Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon as long as security concerns persist.
File photo of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Xinhua/IANS)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday (local time) said that Israel will not permit Iran to obtain nuclear weapons under any circumstances, while reaffirming that Israeli forces will continue operating in a security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as security concerns persist.
Addressing the Jerusalem News Syndicate (JNS) International Policy Summit 2026, Netanyahu linked Israel’s security posture in both Iran and Lebanon to what he described as long-term threats against the country. His remarks came as technical-level discussions between the United States and Iran concluded in Switzerland under a broader 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU).
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Netanyahu said Israel’s position on Iran’s nuclear programme would not change irrespective of whether ongoing negotiations produce an agreement.
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“I said, no matter what happens in the talks, with an agreement or without an agreement, I pledge to you that Iran, as long as I am Prime Minister of Israel, will never have a nuclear weapon. Never. As long as I am the prime minister of Israel, I will not let that happen,” he said.
The Israeli leader also credited recent military operations with preventing what he called a major threat from Iran’s nuclear programme.
“We have prevented Iran from carrying out a plan to annihilate us, and today they would have had a nuclear weapon, an atomic bomb, to do so. We prevented that from happening. We removed an existential danger. And had we not acted in Operation Rising Lion and then in Operation Roaring Lion, Iran would have had atomic bombs. And let me tell you something, they would have used them. That’s what we prevented,” Netanyahu said.
Referring to cooperation with Washington, Netanyahu said Israel and the United States had conducted what he described as the largest air strike in Israel’s history.
“Together with our American friends, the American Air Force, and the American military, we carried out the largest air strike in our history,” he said.
Netanyahu further claimed that the military campaign had dealt a significant blow to Tehran’s nuclear capabilities.
“We destroyed Iran’s nuclear infrastructure,” he said. “But we didn’t just confront Iran. We shattered Iran’s terror axis.”
Turning to Lebanon, Netanyahu reiterated that Israeli forces would remain deployed in a security zone in the country’s south as long as it was necessary to protect Israeli citizens.
“And I said something else about Lebanon, and I repeat it here a few minutes ago: as long as we need to protect our people, we will remain in the security zone in South Lebanon. And the reason is perfectly understood. No country would be asked to do otherwise,” he said.
The Prime Minister said Israel’s conflict was with Hezbollah rather than Lebanon itself and expressed hope that relations could improve if the Iran-backed group ceased to pose a threat.
“We don’t have a war with Lebanon. We have a war with Hezbollah, which terrorises Lebanon and seeks our destruction. And when that proxy of Iran is no longer a threat, whether it’s dismantled or disarmed, yes, we’ll have peace with Lebanon, and I look forward to signing it,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu’s comments came shortly after the first round of US-Iran technical discussions in Switzerland. According to details cited during the summit, the talks addressed issues including the ceasefire in Lebanon, continued access through the Strait of Hormuz and elements of a potential nuclear agreement.
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