Netanyahu Vows to Strike Iran 'Whenever Necessary'
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- Netanyahu vowed on Israeli television Monday that Israel will strike Iran "whenever necessary" in self-defense, directly rebuking Trump's Sunday assertion that "I call the shots" in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
- Trump told the Financial Times on Sunday that Israel "won't have any choice" but to accept any deal ending the war, declaring "I call all the shots. He doesn't call the shots."
- Iran fired missiles into Israel on Sunday — the first such attack since the fragile U.S.-Israel ceasefire took hold — prompting the escalation in rhetoric.
- Israel breached a U.S.-brokered security zone buffer with Lebanon over the weekend to target Iranian-backed Hezbollah, having previously agreed to a ceasefire with Lebanon.
- Netanyahu defended the Lebanon operation, saying adversaries "believed they could fire at Israel from Lebanon and Iran — and that we would not respond. That did not happen, and it will not happen."
- Netanyahu spoke with Trump earlier on Monday, the same day his defiant statement aired, according to a White House official, and warned that if Iran "resumes attacks against us," Israel "will respond forcefully."
Why it matters: Netanyahu and Trump publicly diverged on war strategy within 24 hours, with Netanyahu threading a needle — calling Trump "my friend" while asserting Israeli autonomy to strike. That split matters because Trump is pushing for a negotiated end while Israel is signaling continued unilateral military action against both Iran and Hezbollah, potentially pulling the U.S. into escalation it didn't authorize.
