Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran of unprecedented retaliation if attacked and ruled out Gaza reconstruction before Hamas disarmament as Donald Trump hinted at possible US military action and Tehran defended its nuclear enrichment rights.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday warned that Israel would respond decisively if Iran chose to attack amid renewed tensions following remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting possible military action against Tehran.
Speaking during a televised military ceremony, Netanyahu warned that any aggression from Iran would invite consequences beyond what its leadership could anticipate. “If the ayatollahs make a mistake and attack us, they will receive a response they cannot even imagine,” Netanyahu said in a televised address during a military ceremony.
Referring to discussions held in Washington as the “Board of Peace” met for the first time, Netanyahu said Israel and the United States had agreed there would be no rebuilding of the war-damaged territory prior to its demilitarisation.
The comments came as Iran reiterated its position on nuclear enrichment. Iran’s atomic energy chief, Mohammad Eslami, said no country could strip Tehran of its right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. In a video shared by Iranian media, he maintained that the country’s nuclear programme was progressing in accordance with the rules of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
His remarks followed a warning from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who said there were numerous grounds that could justify military action against Iran and urged Tehran to reach an agreement with Trump.
The two long-time adversaries have recently resumed indirect negotiations after Trump repeatedly raised the prospect of military strikes. Earlier tensions were linked to a deadly crackdown on protesters in Iran, and more recently to concerns over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
A previous round of diplomatic engagement collapsed last year when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iranian targets in June, triggering a 12-day conflict that saw the United States briefly join operations targeting nuclear facilities.
On Wednesday, Trump again floated the possibility of US military action in a post on his Truth Social platform, as Washington continues to reinforce its presence in the Middle East.
He also cautioned Britain against relinquishing sovereignty over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, suggesting the airbase at Diego Garcia could be strategically important if Iran failed to agree to a deal, describing Tehran’s leadership as unstable and potentially dangerous.
Displays of military might
The Omani-mediated talks were aimed at averting the possibility of US military action, while Tehran is demanding the lifting of US sanctions that are crippling its economy.
Iran has insisted that the discussions be limited to the nuclear issue, though Washington has previously pushed for Tehran’s ballistic missiles programme and support for armed groups in the region to be on the table.
The US has meanwhile been building up its military forces near Iran, including warships, fighter jets, and refuelling aircraft, laying the foundation for a potentially sustained campaign against Iran – should Trump give the order.
Washington has ordered a second aircraft carrier to the region, with the first, the USS Abraham Lincoln and its nearly 80 aircraft, positioned about 700 kilometres (435 miles) from the Iranian coast as of Sunday, satellite images showed.
Iran has sought to display its own military might, with its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps holding war games earlier this week in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian politicians have repeatedly threatened to block the strait, a major global conduit for oil and gas.
Separately, the Iranian and Russian navies held on Thursday joint drills in the Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean, which the official IRNA news agency later announced had ended.
With inputs from agencies
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