Israeli Minister Furious Over US-Iran Rapprochement, Urges Netanyahu to Strike Lebanon
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, on Monday (15/06/2026) sharply condemned the latest peace agreement between the United States and Iran, insisting that his country is not bound by the deal because it does not guarantee the safety of Israeli citizens.
In a statement via his personal Telegram channel, Ben Gvir stressed that Israel is not a party to the unilateral agreement initiated by the White House. This harsh response marks the first official reaction from a senior official in the Tel Aviv government following the announcement of the historic ceasefire in the Middle East.
“Trump’s deal does not bind us… we are not a party to this agreement. The agreement does not protect our security,” Ben Gvir asserted in his written statement, refusing to soften his stance towards Tehran.
Ben Gvir also urged the Israeli military not to halt combat operations before the Hezbollah group in Lebanon is completely dismantled. He demanded that Israeli forces not retreat a single inch from territory that has been successfully captured and cleared of terrorist infrastructure.
“We must not settle for anything less than the dissolution of Hezbollah. We must not retreat from a single inch of territory that has been captured and cleared of terrorist infrastructure by our soldiers,” he said.
The fierce internal Israeli criticism came just after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Sunday evening that a peace deal between the US and Iran had been officially reached. Sharif explained that the memorandum of understanding (MOU) includes the immediate cessation of military operations on all battlefronts, including Lebanese territory.
“Following intensive talks, we are pleased to announce that a Peace Agreement between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran has been REACHED,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on his social media account.
US President Donald Trump also confirmed the compromise deal had been reached and immediately ordered the withdrawal of the naval blockade in Gulf waters. Trump announced that the Strait of Hormuz has now been reopened without fees for all international commercial shipping traffic in order to restore global oil supplies.
The ceremonial signing of the official peace document is scheduled to take place in Switzerland on 19 June. Following the signing, both parties will immediately begin a 60-day technical negotiation window focusing on the limitation of Iran’s nuclear programme and the mechanism for releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets.