PM confirms ‘very friendly’ call with Trump about need for ‘victory’ against Iran

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke last night with US President-elect Donald Trump about Israel’s determination to continue acting against Iran and its armed proxies whenever they try to harm the Jewish state, the premier says in a video statement.

Netanyahu says it was a “very friendly, very warm, and very important conversation” about the need for Israel to “complete its victory.”

“We are committed to preventing Hezbollah from rearming,” he says. “This is an ongoing test for Israel, we must meet it – and we will meet it. I say to Hezbollah and Iran in no uncertain terms – to prevent you from harming us, we will continue to act against you as much as necessary, in every arena and at all times.”

Netanyahu reiterates that recent airstrikes against Syrian military sites were carried out to ensure that the weapons would not be used against Israel in the future. Israel also hit arms supply routes to Hezbollah, he says.

“We have no interest in a conflict with Syria,” Netanyahu says firmly. “We will determine Israel’s policy toward Syria according to the emerging reality on the ground.”

“Syria is not the same Syria,” he says, arguing that Israel is changing the Middle East. “Lebanon is not the same Lebanon, Gaza is not the same Gaza, and the leader of the axis – Iran – is not the same Iran.”