Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Thursday that Israel and the United States “undermined the foundations” of the Iranian regime over more than six weeks of war, as he touted Jerusalem’s accomplishments and insisted that, despite naysayers, it was more in sync with Washington than ever, following US President Donald Trump’s two-week ceasefire announcement.

The prime minister asserted that Israel had achieved significant goals in Iran and was walking away “stronger than ever.” He acknowledged, however, that there was still more to be done, saying Israel would be ready to return to fighting at a moment’s notice.

Netanyahu also sought to shoot down the notion that he had been caught off-guard by the ceasefire, which was the result of eleventh-hour efforts by Pakistan to avert US President Donald Trump’s threat of massive destruction across Iran from coming to fruition, as opposition leaders charged that the truce marked a strategic disaster — with Opposition Leader Yair accusing the premier of using Israelis as “cannon fodder” and lying to the US.

The “temporary two-week ceasefire” between the US and Iran was done “in full coordination with Israel,” insisted the premier, who delivered his remarks in a televised address without any time allocated for questions from the media. “No, they did not surprise us at the last minute.”

The ceasefire did not signal the end of Israel’s feverish efforts against the Islamic Republic, Netanyahu said, but was merely “a milestone on the path” to achieving all of Israel’s goals.

Iran is entering negotiations with the US when it is weaker than ever, he said, claiming — despite Iranian reports to the contrary — that Tehran had opened the Strait of Hormuz and given up all its previous demands, including the lifting of sanctions, reparations, the permanent end of the war and a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Iran’s Fars news agency reported earlier Wednesday that the country again halted the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz over Israel’s strikes in Lebanon. Tehran has insisted that Israel is expected to cease its offensive against Hezbollah as part of the ceasefire agreement, but Israel has disputed this, continuing to attack the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group throughout Wednesday.

Much of Netanyahu’s address was dedicated to the strength of his friendship with Trump, which he said was “changing the face of the Middle East,” and to accomplishments achieved under their leadership.

“Such a partnership between Israel and the United States against our greatest enemy has also never existed in the history of Israel,” Netanyahu boasted, saying they speak........

© The Times of Israel