Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the country alongside its long-term partner, the U.S., is committed to stopping Iran’s influence in the Middle East.
Netanyahu made this known on Sunday after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem. Both leaders discussed regional security concerns, with focus on Iran.
The prime minister said both countries are determined to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons, which will be a threat to the region and the world.
“Israel and America stand shoulder to shoulder in countering the threat of Iran,” he said.
“We agreed that the ayatollahs must not have nuclear weapons and also agreed that Iran’s aggression in the region must be rolled back,” he added.
Rubio speaking in support of Netanyahu’s stance, attributed much of the Middle East’s instability to Iran.
“Behind every terrorist group, behind every act of violence, behind every destabilising activity, behind everything that threatens peace and stability for the millions of people that call this region home is Iran,” he stated.
The rivalry between Israel and Iran goes back to decades ago, as both nations have engaged in undercover operations and military strikes.
Though Iran has maintained that its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful purposes, it has provided support to several militant groups in the region, collectively known as the “Axis of Resistance.”
This alliance includes terrorist groups like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and various Shi’ite militias in Iraq and Syria.
It would be recalled that the Iran-backed Hamas group launched the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, killing 1208 persons and kidnapping 251 persons.
The attack led to the Gaza war championed by Israel in a bid to retaliate and rescue its citizens from the terrorist group.
Israel has also intensified its military actions, targeting high-ranking leaders of both Hamas and Hezbollah, while Israel and Iran themselves have had retaliatory strikes between them.
Netanyahu claimed that Israel had death a “mighty blow” to Iran since the war began and expressed confidence in ultimate victory.
“With the support of President Donald Trump, I have no doubt we can and will finish the job,” he stated.
Netanyahu expressed appreciation for the “unequivocal backing” of the U.S. under President Donald Trump, emphasizing that the two leaders are in “full cooperation and coordination” regarding Gaza.
Rubio reiterated the U.S. stance, insisting that Hamas must not be allowed to remain in power.
“As long as Hamas stands as a force that can govern or threaten with violence, peace is impossible,” he said.
Apart from 48000 deaths reported by the Palestinian authorities, the war in Gaza has devastated the city, leaving much of it in ruins and displacing the majority of its 2.3 million residents multiple times.
Trump, last month, sparked controversy by proposing that the U.S. should take over Gaza and resettle its Palestinian population elsewhere.
The proposal drew criticisms from the United Nations and the Arab world but Rubio insisted that Trump’s plan is a “bold departure from the same tired ideas of the past.”
He acknowledged that the proposal had surprised many but argued that the status quo was no longer attainable.
Meanwhile, Arab nations are working on an alternative vision for Gaza by rebuilding the war-torn enclave while addressing longstanding economic and humanitarian challenges.
