Netanyahu: ‘Iran Will Not Have Nuclear Weapons’

As so often in history, Israel is left standing alone, confronting the evil that the civilized world is unwilling or unable to stop.

From his statement to Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel does not know the terms of the US-Iran nuclear deal during a press conference on Monday evening, following Sunday’s announcement that the United States and Iran reached a ceasefire agreement. “With or without an agreement, Iran will never have nuclear weapons,” said Netanyahu. “Not today and not tomorrow.” “We have removed the threat of immediate annihilation,” he said. “You [Israelis] were all in terrible danger of death” ….  Netanyahu warned that “the struggle is not over,” saying that Israel must “continue to stand guard, continue to be strong and determined to defend ourselves as much as necessary.” “We did it in Gaza, we did it in Lebanon, in Syria, in Yemen, we did it in the refugee camps in Judea and Samaria, we did it everywhere,” Netanyahu continued. He said that Israel had successfully killed nearly every terrorist who participated in the October 7 massacre, noting that he thinks there is “one more left.” “He will also be eliminated,” said Netanyahu. “Israel will not allow terrorist organizations to camp on our borders.” He noted that the defense budget will be increased by NIS 350 billion to achieve “weapons independence” (Jerusalem Post).

Statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the press conference last night:

​"Dear citizens of Israel,
​For decades, I have been fighting against Iran’s efforts to arm itself with nuclear weapons. I can define it as my life’s mission. I have met this challenge to this… pic.twitter.com/U6vfY2svX9

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) June 16, 2026

Israel Alarmed by Iran Deal

Jerusalem is not celebrating, concerned about whether their freedom for self-defense will be constrained.

New York Sun: Members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet and leaders of the opposition are united in subtle but unmistakable anger at President Trump, who is portrayed as too eager to end the American-Iranian war without significant successes. While opening the Hormuz straits seems to top the White House agenda, Israelis have some urgent concerns.  Topping those concerns are questions over Israel’s ability to prevent the reinstituting of the powers of Iran’s proxy, Hezbollah. Officials at Tehran claim the pact that ends the Iran war extends to Lebanon as well. They also claim that America will guarantee full Israeli withdrawal from all of Lebanon’s territory (New York Sun). Wall Street Journal: Israel is concerned that Trump has agreed to a deal that could provide Tehran with the financial relief it needs to rebuild its shattered economy but doesn’t include a commitment to turn over its enriched uranium. It is a harsh comedown from Israeli hopes that the war would bring fundamental change to the region by toppling or crippling the Iranian regime and paving the way to diplomatic relations with more of Israel’s Arab regional counterparts under an American security umbrella, said Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington (Wall Street Journal).

In a press conference on Monday, June 15, 2026—following the announcement of a preliminary memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Israel’s stance on Lebanon, Hezbollah, and the Iranian nuclear threat.

The core takeaways from his address focus heavily on security buffers and long-term strategy:

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1. No Withdrawal from Lebanon

Netanyahu explicitly ruled out any immediate withdrawal from southern Lebanon, stating that Israeli forces will remain deployed in the established security buffer zone “for as long as necessary” to protect northern communities.

• He claimed that while Iran demanded an Israeli pullback from the border, he stood firm against it.

• He noted that U.S. officials confirmed a withdrawal from Lebanon was not a condition of the U.S.–Iran pact, and that Israel retains full freedom of action to defend itself against any future Hezbollah attacks.

2. Status of the War Goals vs. Iran

Responding to domestic criticism that the joint U.S.–Israeli military campaign did not achieve full regime change or the total destruction of Iran’s capabilities, Netanyahu defended the operation’s outcome:

• He claimed a “historic victory,” asserting that the campaign successfully spared Israel from the immediate danger of “nuclear annihilation.”

• He argued that the original goals were to remove existential threats—specifically targeting nuclear facilities, missile production infrastructure, and economic assets—rather than explicitly overthrowing the government. He stated the operation aimed to “create the conditions” that could eventually lead to the regime’s ouster by the Iranian people.

3. Stance on the U.S.–Iran Deal

While acknowledging that Israel does not yet know the precise, final terms of the Washington–Tehran agreement (scheduled to be signed on Friday, June 19), Netanyahu emphasized that Israel is not bound to a passive stance.

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• He declared: “With an agreement, without an agreement, Iran will not have nuclear weapons… As long as I am Prime minister of Israel, it will not happen.”

• He stated that the critical difference between current diplomacy and past agreements (like the 2015 JCPOA) is the presence of a “credible military threat” established by the recent extensive air campaigns.