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Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday rejected the U.S.-Iran peace agreement reached through Pakistani mediation, calling it harmful to Israel and saying the country should continue its campaign against Tehran independently.
“The agreement with Iran is bad for Israel and for the entire free world. Period,” Smotrich said in a post on X.
He said the joint military campaign had significantly weakened Iran and argued that those gains should not be abandoned following the agreement.
“The joint campaign had many achievements in weakening Iran, and they will not go to waste,” he said.
Smotrich called for continued efforts to remove Iran’s government and prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
“We will have to continue the campaign to topple the regime ourselves and in creative ways, and ensure that Iran will never have nuclear weapons,” he said.
Smotrich said the Israeli government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were facing intense pressure over the conflict and the agreement with Iran.
He claimed that other politicians seeking the premiership would be unable to withstand the pressure currently being applied to the government.
“None of the candidates who see themselves as fit for the premiership would withstand even 10% of the pressure currently being applied to the Israeli government, and especially to the one at its head,” Smotrich said.
He did not identify the political figures to whom he was referring.
Smotrich said Israel’s position would also be tested in Lebanon, where fighting has continued despite the peace agreement announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
“In Lebanon, we will be tested,” Smotrich said. “This is our war, our fighters, and the immediate security of our northern residents.”
He said he would continue working to ensure that the Israeli military maintained full freedom of action against Hezbollah.
“I will continue to act so that we continue to stand firm on ours and allow the Israeli forces full freedom of action to continue pushing Hezbollah away,” he said.
Trump announced Sunday that a peace agreement with Iran had been completed.
The agreement includes an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the termination of the U.S. naval blockade of Iran.
Despite the announcement, the Israeli military continued airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Monday.
Lebanese officials say Israeli attacks since March 2 have killed more than 3,700 people, wounded nearly 11,500 and displaced more than 1.5 million.
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