Israeli Prime Minister Says End of War Depends on Whether Iran Becomes Weak Enough to Give Up Nuclear Program

[Financial News] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose country has been fighting a war with Iran alongside the United States for nearly five months, has spoken about the conditions for ending the conflict. He said Iran must be weakened enough to give up its nuclear program.
In an interview with Fox News on the 26th, local time, Netanyahu said the conditions for ending the war would be met when "the regime is weakened enough to realize on its own that it must change or stop its nuclear program and change course." He added, "That is exactly what U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to achieve, and I fully support his efforts."
Netanyahu also said, "If he can do it, if he can do it without a violent military clash, that would be fine." Trump had ordered consecutive bombings of Iran starting on the 13th of this month, but said in an announcement on the 24th that military operations were being put on hold. He said, "We are talking seriously with Iran, but if there is no agreement this time either, we will move immediately to military action."
On the 26th, Mohammad Akraminia, a spokesperson for the Iranian Armed Forces, said, "U.S. attacks continued until the night two days ago, but they have stopped over the past two days. Our military strategy is fundamentally aimed at retaliation, so we have also halted retaliatory operations."
Since the United States signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran last month to end the war, Netanyahu has been refraining from direct airstrikes targeting Iran. He explained that the future direction of the war with Iran depends on Trump's decision. Netanyahu said, "If Iran or its proxy forces attack Israel, that would be a huge mistake," adding, "Our response, Israel's response, will be very, very strong."
Netanyahu also stressed that Iran's nuclear weapons development must end, saying, "Whether there is an agreement or not, that program must end." He said Iran's nuclear weapons program has "fallen back significantly" since the war began, but added, "We have delayed their attempts, but that does not mean there is no possibility they will try again. We must remain constantly vigilant."
Netanyahu is expected to visit the United States on the 27th and meet with Trump. When asked whether he would bring new information about Iran's nuclear program to the United States, he said the intelligence agencies of the two countries work very closely together, so "I would not be able to present any new information."
[email protected] Park Jong-won Reporter