Netanyahu Claims Elimination of Iranian Nuclear Scientists Amid Confusion Over Diplomatic Dialogue
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu has emphasised that the Israeli military will continue its attacks against Iran and Lebanon. This statement comes amid claims by US President Donald Trump regarding the possibility of a diplomatic agreement to end the conflict, which has now entered its fourth week.
In a speech broadcast on television on Monday (23/3), Netanyahu revealed that he had communicated with Trump. According to him, the US President believes there is an opportunity to turn military gains into an agreement.
“Trump believes there is a chance to leverage the significant achievements we have made together with the US military to achieve the war’s objectives through an agreement, an agreement that will safeguard our vital interests,” Netanyahu stated.
While opening the door to a settlement path, Netanyahu assured that the intensity of the attacks would not diminish. He even claimed that an Israeli intelligence operation had recently crippled key figures in Tehran’s strategic programme.
“A few days ago, we eliminated two more nuclear scientists, and more actions are expected to occur,” Netanyahu asserted firmly. “We are striking the missile programme and the nuclear programme, and we continue to deliver heavy blows to Hezbollah. We will safeguard our vital interests under any circumstances.”
This statement was reinforced by Israel’s Minister of Defence, who had previously stated that the US and Israel would “significantly increase” attacks on Iranian territory this week.
Amid the military escalation, a ray of diplomatic light emerged from Islamabad. Spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Office, Tahir Hussain Andrabi, expressed his country’s readiness to facilitate dialogue between Tehran and Washington.
“If both sides agree, Pakistan is always ready to host talks,” Andrabi told CNN.
To date, communication between Tehran and Washington is reported to still be ongoing indirectly through officials from intermediary countries such as Turkey and Egypt as an effort to de-escalate regional violence.
The current diplomatic situation remains clouded by information confusion. US President Donald Trump claimed that talks over the weekend resulted in 15 points of agreement. However, this claim was strongly denied by Iran’s Foreign Ministry through state media, stating that “there is no dialogue” between the two countries.
This information deadlock occurs as combined US-Israeli attacks on Iran continue to shake the region, leaving major questions about the effectiveness of the diplomatic channels being pursued.