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Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar on Monday assured continued operations against Hezbollah, disavowing the US-Iran peace deal, and dismissed regime change as a goal of the operation against Iran.
Speaking with ANI, the Israeli Envoy affirmed that the Jewish state will continue its operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, adding that Lebanon was not a part of the US-announced trade deal with Iran. "We will continue taking action as we have been taking this morning to continue dismantling the Hezbollah infrastructure in the south. And, you know, at the end of the day, the Israeli cabinet will have to look at the text and we have to decide what it wants to do. We are not part of the agreement," he said. Regarding his country's agenda through the Iran conflict, Azar said that Israel, rather than regime change, aimed to remove the nuclear and ballistic missile threat "looming on our country" from Iran, through its operation with the US. He affirmed that Israel and US aimed to prepare a better space for the Iranian people to "embrace their future." "No. What Israel said, and you know Israel wants to remove two existential threats that were looming on our country, the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat, and that we were going to prepare the ground together with the United States for the Iranian people to embrace their future," he stated. He further deemed the ceasefire, "if it's signed" incapable of changing the reality in Iran immediately. Azar stated that the money, to be released through the Memorandum of Understanding to end the conflict, should be used for the welfare of the people rather than boosting military prowess, warning of a setback from the public otherwise. "Because evidently, even after, you know, this ceasefire, if it went, when, and if it's signed, the reality in Iran will not change that fast. And especially if this regime will take all this money that is going to be released in the context of the MOU, which is not a lot, and invest it in military means instead of investing it in welfare of their people. So they will have to be accountable to their people," he said. His remarks come after Trump on Sunday stated that a deal with Iran was "complete" and that the strategic waterway would again be open after the signing of the agreement on Friday. He further stated that the "Great Deal" was aimed at bringing "Peace and Security" to the whole region. "This Great Deal will bring Peace and Security to the whole Region. Many presidents have tried to make Peace with Iran, and all have failed before me. The Leaders of the Region have, for the first time, found a President who can help them achieve real Peace. With the opening of the Strait upon the signing of the Deal on Friday, for purposes of mine removal, oil will flow on both ends again for the Region, and the World! Trump stated in a post on Truth Social. However, following Trump's announcement, Ben-Gvir, in a post on X, stated that Israel is not bound by the Trump agreement, noting that Israel maintains its absolute sovereignty."Trump's agreement does not bind us. Israel is not subject to the United States, and we are an independent and sovereign nation," the post read.Iran has repeatedly maintained that Lebanon must be included in the final agreement with the US, with Iranian officials describing it as an "integral part" of the border arrangement. (ANI)
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