International Desk: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that, with the support of the United States, Israel will “finish the job” against Iran. He made these remarks during a press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was visiting Jerusalem.
Netanyahu stated, “In the past 16 months, Israel has dealt harsh blows to Iran’s terrorist axis. Under President (Donald) Trump’s strong leadership and with your steadfast support, I have no doubt that we will complete the job and we will.”
After the unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Israel fought against Iran-backed Palestinian armed groups in Gaza and also engaged in conflict with Hezbollah, which is supported by Tehran, in Lebanon. Additionally, Israel faced attacks from Iran-backed armed groups in Yemen and Iraq, showing solidarity with the Palestinians.
Netanyahu further added, “In facing the threat from Iran, Israel and the United States are working shoulder to shoulder.”
Netanyahu welcomed the re-election of U.S. President Donald Trump, who had adopted the “maximum pressure” policy against Iran during his first term and has since returned to this policy to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capabilities.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday, “Iran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear power, and I describe the Islamic Republic as the biggest source of instability in the Middle East.”
Rubio continued, “A nuclear Iran must never be allowed, because with nuclear weapons, they could protect themselves from any pressure and retaliation. This must not be allowed to happen.”
He also added, “Whether we’re talking about Hamas, Hezbollah, violence in the West Bank, instability in Syria, or Iraqi militias — in every case, there is one common factor, and that is Iran.”
Amid increasing regional tensions following the Gaza war, for the first time last year, Iran and Israel launched direct attacks against each other. On October 26, Israel carried out an airstrike on Iranian military facilities, killing four soldiers, in response to nearly 200 missiles fired from Iran towards Israel on October 1. On April 13, Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel in retaliation for an alleged Israeli attack on Iran’s consulate in Damascus on April 1.
Source: AFP (Agence France-Presse)
