Netanyahu Says Israel's Fight Is Not Over, Vows Iran Will Never Get Nuclear Weapons

The US-Iran peace deal has sparked Israeli backlash, with leaders rejecting its terms and warning it won't bind Israel. Critics say PM Netanyahu is increasingly isolated amid diplomatic fallout.

The US-Iran peace deal has sparked Israeli backlash, with leaders rejecting its terms and warning it won't bind Israel.

Source : Twitter

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• US-Iran peace deal, welcomed globally, faces strong Israeli opposition.
• Israeli ministers declare non-binding, asserting sovereign national security.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had "saved itself from annihilation" but warned that its struggle was far from over. Reiterating Israel's long-standing position on Iran, Netanyahu said Tehran would never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, regardless of whether a diplomatic agreement is reached. He also said he and US President Donald Trump were in complete agreement on preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power.

Sevceral Israel leaders have raised the issue and concerns over the new US-Iran peace deal and said that they are not bounded to follow the US path. The conflict in West Asia erupted on February 28 after the United States and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran.

With a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran expected to be signed in Switzerland on Friday, Israeli leaders have taken to social media to voice concerns over the agreement and its implications for Israel's security.

'Trump's Agreement Does Not Bind Us'

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir declared that Israel would not be bound by any agreement reached between Washington and Tehran, stressing that the country's security decisions would remain sovereign.

"Trump's agreement does not bind us. Israel is not subject to the United States, and we are an independent and sovereign nation," Ben-Gvir said, arguing that Israel's primary responsibility is to its citizens and national security.

ההסכם של טראמפ אינו מחייב אותנו. ישראל לא כפופה לארצות הברית ואנחנו מדינה עצמאית וריבונית!

חובתנו לאזרחי ישראל לחיילי צה״ל ולעם היהודי וחובתנו ההיסטורית לנרדפים ולנרצחים היהודים באלפי שנות גלות, להעניק ביטחון ליהודים בארץ ישראל.

בכל פעם שנכנענו ללחץ בינלאומי על חשבון ביטחון…

— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) June 15, 2026

The far-right minister warned against yielding to international pressure, claiming past concessions had come at a heavy cost for Israel. He insisted that Israel must continue pursuing the dismantling of Hezbollah, retain operational freedom in Lebanon and respond forcefully to any attacks launched against Israeli territory.

"Every time we succumbed to international pressure at the expense of Israel's security, we paid a blood price with interest. It was true in the Oslo Accords, it was true in the Lebanon agreement in 2006, and it was true in every period of containment in Gaza that exploded in our faces."

Opposition Targets Netanyahu

The criticism was not limited to the ruling coalition. Opposition leader Yair Lapid described reports of a potential agreement as a major diplomatic and security setback, placing responsibility squarely on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Lapid argued that Netanyahu's government had failed to effectively influence Washington's approach toward Iran and had mismanaged key strategic issues during the conflict.

צריך עדיין לקוות שהפרסומים לגבי ההסכם עם איראן אינם נכונים, אבל אם כן, מדובר באחד הכשלונות המזעזעים ביותר של מדיניות החוץ והבטחון של ישראל, והוא כולו רשום על שמו של נתניהו.

1. הוא מכר לאמריקאים תסריט אופטימי מדי, בלי לפרט בפניהם את מפת הסיכונים, ואיבד את אמונם באמצע המלחמה.

2.…

— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) June 14, 2026

He accused the government of failing to push for stronger measures against Iran's energy infrastructure, neglecting ballistic missile concerns in negotiations, mishandling regional alliances, and failing to build international support against Tehran.

According to Lapid, a combination of "negligence, arrogance and poor judgment" had weakened Israel's position at a critical moment in the region.

Smotrich Calls Deal 'Bad for Israel'

Meanwhile, Finance Minister and Religious Zionism Party chairman Bezalel Smotrich also voiced strong opposition to any agreement with Iran.

Smotrich said the reported deal would be harmful not only to Israel but also to the broader free world. While acknowledging that recent military operations had significantly weakened Iran, he argued that pressure on Tehran must continue and reiterated that Iran should never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.

ההסכם עם איראן רע לישראל ולעולם החופשי כולו. נקודה. למערכה המשותפת היו הישגים רבים בהחלשת איראן והם לא ירדו לטמיון. נצטרך להמשיך את המערכה להפלת המשטר בעצמנו ובדרכים יצירתיות ולוודא שלאיראן לעולם לא יהיה נשק גרעיני.

איש מבין המועמדים בעיני עצמם לראשות הממשלה לא היה עומד גם לא…

— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) June 15, 2026

He further stressed the importance of maintaining military pressure on Hezbollah in Lebanon and preserving the Israeli military's freedom of action along the northern border.

Netanyahu Faces Growing Criticism

According to political scientist Gayil Talshir, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Sunday's strike on Beirut in part to demonstrate his independence from Washington and reinforce support among his right-wing base ahead of upcoming Israeli elections.

However, Talshir argued that the move ultimately backfired, leaving Netanyahu increasingly isolated politically and diplomatically.

"By playing this foolish game for his political base, he provided the final push for a memorandum of understanding that is among the worst Israel could have imagined," Talshir said, referring to remarks by US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance indicating that Washington accelerated efforts to finalise the agreement with Iran following the Beirut strike.

Talshir noted that Netanyahu had entered the conflict with ambitious objectives, including toppling the Iranian regime, dismantling its nuclear and uranium-enrichment programme, eliminating its ballistic missile capabilities, and weakening Tehran's network of regional proxies.

"Netanyahu's life project is collapsing before his eyes, while he stands alone in the arena with no one else to blame," she said.