Benjamin Netanyahu made one thing crystal clear on June 15, 2026: Israel doesn’t need permission. The Israeli Prime Minister declared that his country will move against Iran’s nuclear program with or without a US-brokered agreement.
“With an agreement, without an agreement, Iran will not have nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu said, reinforcing Israel’s position that it operates on its own strategic timeline when it comes to existential threats.
The remarks land at a particularly sensitive moment. The US and Iran recently signed a memorandum of understanding that includes terms for a ceasefire and a potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Israel is not a signatory to that deal.
A deal Israel didn’t sign and doesn’t like
Israel’s position is that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure must be completely dismantled, not merely curtailed or frozen. Netanyahu also pointedly reminded the world that Israel has already conducted operations that damaged Iranian infrastructure.
