TEHRAN – President Masoud Pezeshkian has exposed Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to derail the recent memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Iran and the United States, as the embattled Israeli prime minister seeks to cling to power by inflaming regional tensions.
Pezeshkian said on Sunday that Netanyahu is among those opposed to talks between Tehran and Washington. Referring to Israel’s continued strikes in Lebanon and Gaza, he noted that the Israeli premier does not want peace and stability to take hold in the region.
The Iranian president said the “enemy” is attempting to create division and discord within the country.
“An examination of the plans and strategies drawn up by Netanyahu and the CIA suggests that their primary aim is to sow division within the country and undermine national unity and cohesion.”
Pezeshkian’s warning comes as Iran and the United States hold talks in Geneva to press for the implementation of a 14-point MoU. The negotiations are aimed at turning the MoU into a binding agreement to bring a permanent end to the joint US–Israeli aggression against Iran that began on February 28.
The first paragraph of the MoU clearly stipulates that Israel must stop its strikes in Lebanon. However, the Netanyahu government has continued military operations in Lebanon, killing dozens of people since it was signed by President Pezeshkian and his American counterpart Donald Trump on Wednesday.
Netanyahu’s motives for sabotaging political engagement between Iran and the United States can be better understood in the context of recent reports in Israeli and American media, as well as remarks by Israeli officials.
Earlier this month, Israel Hayom reported that Iran had emerged stronger from the war, while Israel had emerged weaker. It also stated that Iran had won the war strategically.
According to a survey published on Sunday, more than 90 percent of respondents believe Iran has won the war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.
The poll, conducted between June 17 and 20 by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in collaboration with the Agam Institute, also found that nearly 83 percent believe the war weakened Israel’s long-term security. In addition, over 72.5 percent said they do not believe Netanyahu’s claims that Israel achieved significant gains, while 87.8 percent said Israel failed to achieve its objectives or achieved only partial success.
The war on Iran and Israel’s continued strikes in Lebanon have also widened divisions within the Israeli establishment.
Former Israeli defense minister Moshe Ya’alon told Channel 12 that Tel Aviv is “paying the price for Netanyahu’s hallucinations.”
Ya’alon said Netanyahu is prolonging the war in Lebanon for “private and partisan political interests.” Benny Gantz, another former defense minister, also criticized Netanyahu, calling for his removal from power.
Last week, opposition leader Yair Lapid also criticized Netanyahu for failing to deliver on his pledge of a “historic victory” through regime change in Iran.
In addition to Netanyahu, other Israeli politicians are infuriated by the MoU between Iran and the United States, believing Iran has secured concessions and pushed Israel into a corner.
Lapid and his coalition partner Naftali Bennett are seeking to capitalize on growing public anger in Israel over the MoU, as Israel prepares to hold elections before October.
Following the signing of the MoU, US intelligence agencies warned that Netanyahu may seek to undermine it.
Citing US intelligence officials, The Washington Post reported that, ahead of elections in Israel, Netanyahu’s political survival is linked to showing his domestic audience that he will not withdraw troops from Lebanon and intends to escalate fighting with Hezbollah.
Netanyahu, who is facing corruption charges, now finds himself between a rock and a hard place. If he abandons his confrontational policies, it could mark a severe blow to his political career. If he continues to disrupt Iran–US engagement by escalating operations in Lebanon, he risks plunging Israel and the United States into a regional quagmire, with consequences far greater than those of the recent conflict paused by the April 8 ceasefire.
Israeli leadership is split after the war with Iran. In this context, Netanyahu risks being turned into a scapegoat as efforts grow to gloss over Israel’s strategic setbacks.
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