Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar on Monday affirmed that Israel will continue its military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, while also distancing his country from the recently announced US-Iran peace deal. Speaking with ANI, Azar dismissed the notion that regime change is a goal of Israel's actions against Iran, emphasizing that the focus remains on neutralizing existential threats.
Continued Operations Against Hezbollah
Azar stated that Israel will persist in dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, as it has been doing. He clarified that Lebanon was not part of the US-brokered trade agreement with Iran, and that Israel's cabinet will review the deal's text before deciding on a course of action. "We are not part of the agreement," he said.
No Regime Change Objective
Regarding Israel's agenda in the Iran conflict, Azar explained that the goal is to eliminate nuclear and ballistic missile threats, not to change the Iranian regime. He said Israel and the United States aim to create conditions for the Iranian people to determine their own 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.
Ceasefire and Accountability
Azar expressed skepticism about the immediate impact of any ceasefire deal, noting that the reality in Iran will not change quickly. He warned that if the regime uses funds released under the Memorandum of Understanding for military purposes instead of public welfare, it will face accountability from its people. "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.
US Announcement and Israeli Sovereignty
Azar's remarks followed former US President Donald Trump's announcement on Sunday that a deal with Iran was "complete" and would bring peace and security to the region. Trump stated that the strategic waterway would open after the signing on Friday, allowing oil to flow. However, Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir posted on X that Israel is not bound by the Trump agreement, asserting Israel's 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 insisted that Lebanon must be included in the final agreement with the US, describing it as an integral part of the border arrangement.
