Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintains that the “victory” over Iran “opens an opportunity” to “drastically expand” peace agreements in the Middle East. His statements align with press reports about a joint plan with the United States to end the war in Gaza in two weeks and normalize relations with other Arab countries.
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“We fought fiercely against Iran and achieved a great victory. This victory opens the opportunity for a drastic expansion of peace agreements. We are working hard on it,” he stated in a video that he shared on his social media.
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He added that “along with the release of our hostages and the defeat of Hamas, there is an opportunity that we must not miss. We must not waste a single day.”
Days before, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, had already suggested the Israeli government’s willingness to establish new relations with Arab countries, after confirming the ceasefire with Iran. Tehran, on the other hand, also proclaimed to have emerged victorious from the military clash that lasted for twelve days.
Although Danon did not mention any specific country, he did allude to the Abraham Accords, through which Israel normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco.
Israel tried to assassinate Ali Jamenei, according to Defense Minister
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz revealed on Thursday that the government attempted to assassinate the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the conflict that erupted in mid-June. He expressed regret, however, that the military did not succeed in carrying out the operation.
“Israel was seeking to assassinate Jamenei during the war, but the opportunity did not present itself,” he declared in an interview with the Israeli channel Channel 13. He added that, had they had him in their sights, they would have eliminated him. He also emphasized that Israeli forces tried to “eliminate him,” but did not have a viable operational opportunity. “We do not need any permission to make these decisions,” he assured when asked if the United States had approved that attempt.
Jamenei reappeared this Thursday to congratulate Iran on the “victory” against Israel. He issued his first public message since the ceasefire agreed after twelve days of clashes, which began on June 13 with the Israeli offensive, which has left nearly 630 dead and more than 4,800 injured.
“I express my congratulations for the victory over the false Zionist regime,” he declared. He added that, “despite all the noise and all the arguments, the Zionist regime almost collapsed and the Islamic Republic crushed it with its blows.” According to the transcript published by his office, he stated that Israel did not anticipate the magnitude of the attacks received: “The blows inflicted by the Islamic Republic were not in their calculations or in their imagination, but that’s how it was.”