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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israeli troops would remain in southern Lebanon for as long as he deems necessary, and reiterated that he would not permit Iran to obtain nuclear weapons while he remains in office.
Netanyahu made the remarks at a memorial ceremony for his brother, Yonatan Netanyahu, an Israeli military officer killed in 1976 while leading the raid that freed Israeli hostages held aboard a hijacked plane at Entebbe Airport in Uganda.
Speaking at the ceremony, Netanyahu said Israeli military would hold their positions in what he described as a security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as he judged necessary to protect residents of northern Israel.
"We will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to protect the cherished residents of the north and all the citizens of Israel," Netanyahu said. "Nothing will alter that commitment."
The prime minister also claimed Israel had carried out two major strikes against Iran, asserting that without them, Iran would now possess a nuclear weapon. He did not provide further detail on the strikes.
Netanyahu, who has repeatedly made similar statements in the past, said he would block Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons regardless of how diplomatic efforts unfold.
"Whatever political developments may unfold, I will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons," he said. "As long as I serve as prime minister of Israel, that will not happen."
The remarks come against the backdrop of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, a 14-point agreement between Iran and the United States that includes provisions for ending fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
The agreement has drawn criticism in Israel, where officials have said they do not intend to withdraw from areas of Lebanon under Israeli military control. The Israeli military has continued operations in Lebanon despite the agreement.
A new ceasefire with Lebanon took effect on June 19 following a period of intensified Israeli strikes, but attacks have continued since then.
Israeli media reported a day earlier that Netanyahu had instructed the military to halt its strikes on southern Lebanon. Iranian officials have indicated that a ceasefire in Lebanon is among the central conditions of their talks with the United States.
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