Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel still faces further challenges and must protect its security interests after the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding. He spoke on Wednesday at the inauguration ceremony for Highway 60, known as the “Bible Route,” and said the confrontation is not over.
“The struggle is not yet over and there are additional challenges ahead,” Netanyahu said. He added that Israel’s current challenges require “calm, a firm stand on our security interests, and at the same time, preserving the important ties with our American friends, who fought alongside us shoulder to shoulder, and we appreciate that very much.” He said Israel would continue “to navigate wisely and prudently” and would preserve the gains of the war, which he called gains of the entire Jewish people.
Addressing the northern front, Netanyahu said Israel will restore security to the north and that this requires maintaining the security buffer in southern Lebanon. “We will not leave there as long as Israel’s security needs require it,” he said, adding that the buffer separates Hezbollah fighters from Israeli civilians and communities.
He also reiterated Israel’s central goal regarding Tehran: “We will continue to adhere to the supreme objective that guided us, Iran will not have nuclear weapons.” The comments came amid reported tension with Washington following the U.S.-Iran deal framework.
