Can finish job against Iran with US support, says Bibi

Israel and the United States are both determined to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its “aggression” in West Asia, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday following a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Speaking after a meeting with Rubio in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said they had held a “very productive discussion” on a number of issues, “none more important than Iran”.

“Israel and America stand shoulder to shoulder in countering the threat of Iran,” he said. “We agreed that the ayatollahs must not have nuclear weapons and also agreed that Iran’s aggression in the region must be rolled back.” Rubio said: “Behind every terrorist group, behind every act of violence, behind every destabilising activity, behind everything that threatens peace and stability for the millions of people that call this region home is Iran.”

Netanyahu said Israel had dealt a “mighty blow” to Iran over the past 16 months since the start of the war in Gaza against Hamas and said that with the support of Trump “I have no doubt we can and will finish the job”.

He said Israel had weakened the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in southern Lebanon and had hit hundreds of targets in Syria to prevent a new Iranian-backed front opening up against Israel.