JERUSALEM, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel will leverage its attacks on Iran to ensure any potential diplomatic agreement protects its "vital interests."
Following a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, Netanyahu issued a video statement, saying Trump believes there is an opportunity to "leverage the tremendous achievements" of the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran in order to "realize the objectives of the war through an agreement."
"We will safeguard our vital interests in any situation," he said.
However, Netanyahu emphasized that Israeli military strikes against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon are continuing simultaneously. Shortly after Trump announced that negotiations were underway to end the regional conflict, the Israeli military said in a statement that it launched a new series of airstrikes on Tehran. It also blew another bridge on Monday over the Litani River in southern Lebanon, claiming that Hezbollah used it to transport weapons and its members.
"We are crushing the missile and nuclear programs, and we continue to strike Hezbollah hard," Netanyahu said, adding that two more Iranian nuclear scientists were recently killed.
The comments followed Trump's announcement that Washington and Tehran were in contact to end the war. He added that planned U.S. strikes on Iranian power infrastructure would be delayed for five days following "productive conversations" with Tehran. Iran denies any talks with the United States, calling them "meaningless."
The developments came amid heightened regional tensions following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran starting on Feb. 28, to which Iran and its regional allies responded with attacks on Israeli and U.S. interests across the Middle East. ■
