Smotrich: Iran Deal Harms Israel, Gaza and Lebanon Operations Will Continue

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich issued a sharp response on Monday morning to the completed agreement between the United States and Iran, saying it damages Israel’s security interests. He wrote that the deal is “bad for Israel and for the entire free world” and stressed that Israel will not stop working against the Iranian regime.

Smotrich said the anti-Iran campaign had already achieved important gains and should not be wasted. “We will need to continue the campaign to bring down the regime ourselves and in creative ways, and make sure Iran never has nuclear weapons,” he said.

He also addressed the pressure on the Israeli government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “None of the people who imagine themselves candidates for prime minister would withstand even 10 percent of the pressure being put these days on the government of Israel and especially on its head,” he wrote.

His remarks came after Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier on Monday that Israel would not withdraw from the security zones it captured during the War of Restoration, and that “the IDF will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, without time limit.” Smotrich focused especially on the northern front against Hezbollah, saying, “Lebanon will be tested. This is our war, our fighters, and the immediate security of our northern residents.” He added that he would keep working to preserve full IDF freedom of action in the north and to continue pushing Hezbollah farther away. The U.S.-Iran deal includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the naval blockade, and it has drawn harsh criticism in Israel, even as European leaders called it an opportunity to stabilize the region.