Yisrael Beytenu Chairman MK Avigdor Liberman warned Tuesday that the diplomatic approach to ending the conflict with Iran announced by US President Donald Trump could have dire consequences for Israel and the region.
In a statement published on social media, Liberman pointed to what he described as “extraordinary military achievements” by the IDF and the Mossad throughout the war, but lamented what he sees as a strategic failure in its conclusion. “The final chord is particularly bitter and jarring,” he wrote, referring to the developing push for negotiations instead of total Iranian capitulation.
“Instead of unconditional surrender, the world is entering into a difficult and exhausting negotiation process,” Liberman said, arguing that the Iranian regime has shown no willingness to abandon its nuclear ambitions, ballistic missile development, or its extensive support for terrorism in the Middle East and beyond.
Liberman recalled that he had warned at the outset of the war about the risks of leaving the Iranian regime weakened but intact. “There is nothing more dangerous than leaving a wounded lion,” he wrote.
He stressed that a ceasefire without a decisive and clearly defined agreement would be a grave mistake. “It will certainly lead us to another war within two or three years, and under much worse conditions,” he cautioned.