Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Iran's nuclear program must end, whether there is a diplomatic agreement or not. He is preparing to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday (local time). At the same time, US officials indicated to stop military action to give opportunity to diplomacy, while Iran pledged to further strengthen its military preparations.
Netanyahu told what according to him is necessary to end the conflict with Iran. He said that I think this will happen only when this government either falls or becomes so weak that it realizes that it has to end its nuclear program and change its course.
The Israeli Prime Minister indicated that in his view, the war will only truly end if Iran either makes fundamental political changes or abandons its nuclear program and changes its regional policies. He said that this is actually what President Trump is trying to achieve. And I fully supported them but one way or the other, they have to end their nuclear program.
Before leaving for Washington, Netanyahu said Iran would be a key issue in talks with Trump. "I will travel to Washington to meet President Trump at his invitation, and then attend an event in memory of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, a great friend of Israel," he said at the beginning of the Cabinet's weekly meeting. I will also discuss with President Trump all pending issues including the situation in Iran. Meanwhile, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said that President Trump had stopped attacks on Iran to give diplomacy a chance.
Waltz told Fox News they are giving the talks some time. They're giving it a little chance. The ambassador indicated that Washington is avoiding military action for now to continue diplomatic efforts. Waltz said the President is considering all options. He further said, talks are going on. This is happening at every level but we are continuously seeing that there are differences within the Iranian government, there is internal fighting going on there.
Meanwhile, Iran said that its military is fully prepared for every situation and it has strengthened its air defense capabilities ahead of Netanyahu's visit to America. According to the news agency, military spokesman Mohammad Akraminiya said, the situation is chaotic and undesirable for the US, and they have failed to achieve their goals in the Strait of Hormuz and in weakening Iran. An Iranian military spokesman claimed that the US failed to achieve its objectives during the conflict.
He further said, they are now looking for a new strategy. This also includes the possibility of withdrawing from the war if Israel approves. Akraminiya alleged that Washington is rethinking its approach depending on Israel's decisions. Iranian media also reported that an oil tanker reportedly hit a naval mine and exploded in the Strait of Hormuz after deviating from the shipping route set by Tehran.
According to Iran's news agency, the incident involved an errant oil tanker that reportedly deviated from the course specified by Iranian officials before hitting a maritime mine. Tasnim said that Iran had already warned several times that if the ships deviate from Iran's designated route, they would have to face the consequences.
Meanwhile, despite the incident, progress has been made in talks between Iran and Oman on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and their respective maritime waters in that area. Citing sources, the report said that although things are moving in a positive direction, diplomacy will take more time to reach an agreement. It said Omani officials had gone to Tehran on Friday for talks, and the diplomatic initiative coincided with President Donald Trump's decision to halt US bombing of Iran.
CENTCOM was carrying out this bombing for 13 consecutive nights. From Vatican City, Pope Leo XIV reiterated his appeal for peace in the Middle East amid ongoing tensions between the US and Iran. The Pope said that the intensification of military action has once again led to violence and destruction, putting the lives of countless civilians in danger and exacerbating shortages of drinking water and electricity.
Emphasizing the humanitarian consequences of this conflict, the Pope said that the ongoing military action is increasing the suffering of ordinary people and hindering access to essential services. He said, from the bottom of my heart, I appeal to all parties to stop the attacks and immediately resume the path of dialogue and diplomacy, so that the long-desired peace in the entire region can be achieved without any delay. The Vatican's appeal asked all parties to stop military action and return to the negotiating table, as this is the only path to lasting peace.
