Israel Defense Minister: 'We Will Maintain Independent Capability to Stop Iran's Nuclear Ambitions; No Withdrawal from Lebanon'

Amid speculation regarding a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran, Israel has expressed a firm commitment to maintaining its independent military capabilities and stated that it will not withdraw its forces from Lebanon or the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a lengthy statement on social media platform X on June 12 (local time), assessing the progress of U.S.-Iran negotiations and reaffirming Israel's security principles.

Regarding the U.S.-Iran agreement, Katz wrote, "The U.S. President is leading an agreement with Iran from the perspective of U.S. national interests, which includes the shared interest with Israel of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons." He added, "Beyond this, we expect the U.S. to also uphold principles related to missiles and terrorist proxy forces."

Highlighting that Israel has inflicted significant damage on Iran through coordination with the U.S., Katz emphasized, "Israel must continue to ensure its ability to act independently to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons."

He added that he has instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to maintain a state of readiness to this end.

Katz also drew a firm line regarding the possibility of withdrawing ground troops deployed in southern Lebanon, citing the need to eliminate the threat posed by Hezbollah.

"Israel will never withdraw from security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip," he declared. "Following the core lessons of the October 7 (Hamas surprise attack on Israel) incident, the IDF will continue to defend our borders and citizens from the threats of jihadist forces and organizations in the areas of Mount Hermon, the mountains of Lebanon, our territory in Samaria (West Bank), and most of the Gaza Strip."

He further added, "The IDF will not withdraw from terrorist camps in northern Samaria where residents have been evacuated, and we will expand operations to additional terrorist camps if necessary."

"Our security doctrine is sharp and clear. We act against all threats and strive for decisive results, not compromise or concessions," Katz asserted.

He concluded by stating, "We will continue to maintain a firm security policy that prevents the erosion of our security achievements and does not jeopardize our capacity to fight against the 'Shiite Axis of Evil' led by Iran and the 'Sunni Axis of Evil' led by the Muslim Brotherhood."

(Photo: Courtesy of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.