- 3 hours ago
In an exclusive interview on India Today, Israel's Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, discusses the ceasefire between the United States, Israel, and Iran and the road ahead following 38 days of conflict.
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00:00So the latest developments, President Trump chose mercy and accepted Iran's offer of a ceasefire.
00:05That's the claim of U.S. Secretary of War, Pete Hexet.
00:08He claims decisive and spectacular victory over Iran.
00:12U.S. was defeated squarely, insists Mohammad Reza Arif, the vice president of Iran.
00:18So what is the truth?
00:19Is Iran stronger today after close to 40 days of bombing both by the United States and Israel?
00:25Does Iran still project power beyond its borders, controlling the Strait of Hormuz?
00:30Joining me on this India First special broadcast is Ambassador Reuven Hazar, Israel's ambassador to India.
00:36Ambassador, welcome.
00:38My pleasure.
00:38The U.S. war objective was to ensure Iran cannot project power beyond its borders.
00:43After 38 days of continuous carpet bombing of Iran, both by Israel and the United States of America,
00:51does Iran still project power beyond its borders?
00:54Well, I must correct you.
00:56That was not the aim of the operation.
00:58The aim of the operation was to remove two existential threats for Israel.
01:03That's the military nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat.
01:06And to give a chance to the Iranian people to embrace their future by significantly debilitating this regime.
01:14And you can check.
01:14I gave an interview to you in the past.
01:17I quoted this aim, so you can go back and check it.
01:20So that's exactly what we concentrated in.
01:23Once we exhausted all the military targets, including taking out the so-called supreme leader of Iran,
01:29taking out the three chiefs of intelligence of Iran, taking out the entire IRTC brass,
01:35taking out their naval forces, their air force, taking out the entire military industry,
01:40including the industry of production of missiles, the metallurgy industry, the petrochemical industry.
01:46Hundreds of sites that are connected to the nuclear military program.
01:50Okay.
01:5110,000 military personnel of the regime.
01:55After we've done all of that, the Iranian regime has agreed to a temporary ceasefire,
02:01which stands in contradiction to the statement of the head of their parliament, Kalibaf,
02:07who said that they are not going to agree to a ceasefire until we commit to a permanent ceasefire in
02:13which they will not be attacked.
02:15And this threat to close the Straits of Hormuz, they had to retract.
02:20And now they agreed to have impeded navigation in the Straits of Hormuz.
02:26So, you know, so Iranian armed forces, they will have to coordinate.
02:31They will take $2 million.
02:33They were not taking $2 million before the beginning of the conflict.
02:36This is what they are claiming.
02:38But what their government has agreed to is an unconditional opening.
02:43Okay.
02:44So, yes, you are right that they are still firing residual.
02:49They have residual capability.
02:50They have been firing about 10 missiles per day towards Israel.
02:52But that is nothing compared to the hundreds of missiles per day that were capable of firing at the beginning
02:59of this operation.
03:00And that means that this travesty of trying to block an international waterway is not going to work.
03:07So, you think that's something that won't work.
03:10But America said this, and they've said it repeatedly.
03:15So, are we to understand that Israel's war aims...
03:17President Trump said...
03:19Yes, that Iran should not be in a position to project power beyond its borders.
03:22They've repeatedly said it.
03:24But be that as it may.
03:25Well, it may be...
03:26You know, that is a statement, and you have to ask the U.S. leadership regarding the statements that they
03:32make.
03:32But I'm talking about the aims of the operation.
03:35Right.
03:36Okay?
03:36At the end of the day, yes, you had a situation in which, as a result of the huge military
03:41buildup that this regime was having,
03:43including weapons of mass destruction,
03:44they were terrorizing entire countries.
03:47They were taking over Arab capitals.
03:50They were launching wars of aggression.
03:52Are they doing the same?
03:53Can't they do that today?
03:54Well, no.
03:54Are they weakened today?
03:55In your view, are they weakened today?
03:57Substantially.
03:58Now, you can measure it, because you can check each and every thing that I said,
04:03and check it on the ground, and see whether that happened or not.
04:06So, they're still firing missiles in the direction of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait.
04:12They're still targeting them.
04:14They're targeting Israel.
04:15People in Israel are in harm's way.
04:17However, their capability to target us and the damage they're inflicting on us is nothing compared to what they were
04:25doing at the beginning of the operation.
04:27It means that the balance of power has changed.
04:29So, why not carry it to its logical conclusion?
04:32What was the desperation for a ceasefire, in your view?
04:35I think that at this point, because of the fact that we didn't take a decision to invade Iran,
04:39and we were taking operation from the air,
04:41I think that we have exhausted the capability to take action from the air,
04:45and now we are giving a chance to diplomacy, to win the day,
04:49and fulfill the 15-point plan that President Trump has put forward.
04:54So, we are going to see in the next few weeks whether diplomacy can win.
04:58Okay.
04:58Because we don't want to use more force than it is required.
05:01So, why wasn't this used on the 27th of February,
05:05when the Oman's foreign minister, he said Iran has agreed to everything,
05:11including giving up on their material?
05:12I know that that was a lie, because in that negotiation,
05:16the Iranians didn't agree to discuss the support for the proxies,
05:21they didn't agree to discuss the ballistic missile program,
05:25they didn't agree to the terms that the United States was putting forward
05:30regarding the complete decomposition of the military nuclear program,
05:34and therefore, we had to launch the operation.
05:36And now, after we have launched the operation,
05:38and the regime was significant...
05:41Look, why, if the regime is so strong,
05:45have they invited all these militias from abroad?
05:48Okay?
05:49Why, if they are so strong,
05:52the United States and Israel have been able to,
05:55in a joint effort,
05:56to bring back a pilot 400 kilometers into Iranian territory,
06:02if they are so powerful,
06:05how come they are talking in two voices,
06:07and President Pazashkian is saying one thing,
06:10and the IRGC is saying another thing?
06:11So, it means that there are cracks within the system.
06:14Okay.
06:14We know that the Iranian people do not support this regime,
06:17and they can, of course, claim victory,
06:20because this is usually what terrorist organizations
06:22and radical people do,
06:24but it doesn't reflect reality.
06:26The reality is that the balance of power in our region has changed.
06:31One year ago, the regime thought that it is completely immune,
06:35that they can continue throwing havoc in our region
06:38with militias, with terrorist organizations.
06:41They are not going to pay any price.
06:42Well, look what happened now.
06:44The entire leadership was wiped out.
06:46So, the 12-day war last year,
06:48and the 40-day war this year,
06:51will it lead to maybe a 60-day war,
06:54God forbid, next year,
06:56if your objectives are not met?
06:58What will be different this time
07:00that was not achieved in the 12-day war
07:02that may have been achieved in the 40-day war?
07:05We will take action each time
07:07that we feel that this regime
07:10is producing weapons of mass destruction
07:13that will be aimed at the state of Israel,
07:16and as long as this regime doesn't change their intention.
07:20Okay?
07:21There are many countries that have
07:22huge military capabilities around the world.
07:24But none of them is threatening
07:27another member of the United Nations.
07:29This is a blatant violation of the UN Charter.
07:31And we have the right,
07:33under the UN Charter, Article 51,
07:36to defend ourselves against countries
07:38that are sworn to destroy us.
07:39And we will take action again and again and again,
07:43as much as it's needed,
07:46to neutralize existential threats from our country.
07:48This is our right.
07:49On your own, or with the United States of America?
07:51It depends.
07:52If we can have coalitions with the United States
07:56and with other countries, we will do so.
07:57But even if we don't have a coalition,
08:00our prime minister has said it time and again,
08:02and we proved it in the past.
08:04When we acted alone against the military nuclear program of Syria
08:08and the military nuclear program of Iraq,
08:11we took action against the military nuclear program of Iran,
08:14and we will do so in the future.
08:16Now, we hope that we won't be needing of doing that
08:19because this process of debilitation of Iran,
08:23maybe in the future,
08:24will create either a change of policy or a change of regime.
08:27We don't know.
08:27We said at the beginning,
08:29we don't have the force nor the intention
08:30to impose a political solution in Iran
08:33because we are not going to invade Iran.
08:35However, I think that the balance of power in our region has changed
08:39in our favor,
08:41in the favor of countries in the Gulf
08:43that have been suffering, too, from this terrible regime,
08:47and also in the favor of the rest of the international community,
08:51including India,
08:52that has issued a statement today
08:57supporting the unimpeded freedom of navigation.
09:02So, this regime has to respect international law,
09:05and if they don't,
09:06they will have to suffer the consequences.
09:08Because President Trump is now talking about
09:10perhaps Iran and America together
09:13operating the Strait of Hormuz.
09:14I don't know if he said it in a lighter way,
09:16nor he means that,
09:17but he said that to the American press.
09:18I think that what the United States is trying to do,
09:21and the American president has stated that very clearly,
09:24is to be in a situation
09:26in which these threats are removed,
09:29sanctions can be relieved,
09:31and peace can be restored
09:34and prevailed for a long period of time.
09:37This is the aim of diplomacy.
09:39Is Israel on board entirely
09:40on the efforts that are being undertaken?
09:42Absolutely.
09:43Despite the military regime
09:44or the regime in Iran
09:46not being completely changed, if I may,
09:49because the American president says
09:50regime change has happened,
09:51but it's the same IRGC, Basij,
09:54you know, instead of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
09:56it's his son Mujtava Khamenei,
09:58the same Ghalibaf remains the interlocutor.
10:00Look, I'm not the translator of President Trump.
10:03What I can say is the following.
10:06If indeed, as President Trump has said,
10:10there is a change of approach
10:11within the Iranian regime
10:13towards the goals and the points
10:17in the 15-point plan,
10:19including the removal of the existential threats
10:21and stop of the support
10:24for the militias, for the proxies,
10:26I think there is a very good chance
10:28that diplomacy can win.
10:29Now, we are seeing contradictory messages
10:32coming out from Iran because...
10:34For example?
10:36Well, as I told you,
10:38the IRGC are issuing all kinds of statements
10:41that do not concur
10:42with the obligations
10:43of the government of Iran
10:47have been delivered to the mediators
10:51and to the United States,
10:52which means a commitment
10:53to freedom of navigation,
10:55a commitment to a ceasefire,
10:58okay,
10:58and a serious engagement in negotiations.
11:01So you have cracks within the regime,
11:04okay,
11:04you have inconsistencies.
11:06It means that this regime
11:08is much weakened
11:09because in the past,
11:10it never happened,
11:11okay?
11:12So I think that we have to see,
11:15it's too early
11:16to decide
11:18or to understand
11:19whether this ceasefire
11:21is going to last.
11:22We hope that it does.
11:24If the regime complies
11:27with the terms of the ceasefire
11:29and then engaged
11:30in serious negotiations,
11:31we have a chance,
11:32maybe,
11:33of having a prolonged ceasefire.
11:36If there's a missile strike,
11:37God forbid,
11:37on Israel from Iran,
11:40Israel will hit back
11:41and not bother about a ceasefire.
11:43We will always maintain
11:44our right to defend ourselves.
11:46At this moment,
11:47following the directives
11:49of the Security Cabinet,
11:51the Israel Defense Forces
11:52have stopped firing at Iran.
11:54But Hezbollah,
11:55anti-Hezbollah operations
11:56will continue.
11:57And now we are concentrating,
11:58not only continuing,
12:00but actually severing
12:02our military effort
12:03towards against Hezbollah,
12:05and we are determined
12:07to neutralize the threat
12:08so we can get back
12:10into conditions
12:11that are conducive
12:12for sustainable peace
12:14on our northern border.
12:15So Litani River
12:16would be the new line.
12:18You will create
12:19that big a buffer zone.
12:20It's up to the decision
12:21of our Cabinet.
12:22At this point,
12:23what the Cabinet has decided
12:24and what the IDF has executed
12:26is a line
12:29that is about
12:29eight to ten kilometres
12:31from our border,
12:32is the line
12:33that is required
12:34in order to prevent
12:34invasions
12:35from terrorists
12:36in the north,
12:37and also to prevent
12:38anti-tank missiles
12:39from being fired
12:40at our communities.
12:41We might decide
12:43that we are going
12:44to escalate.
12:45It's up to the Security Cabinet
12:46to decide.
12:47What is your reading
12:47of the peace talks
12:48that will happen
12:49and your reading
12:50of Islamabad
12:51as a peace broker?
12:53Well, that's
12:54an American decision.
12:55What is important
12:56for us
12:57is that we are
12:58fully coordinated
12:59with the United States.
13:00We have seen
13:01the United States
13:01engaging in the past
13:02with negative players
13:04like not only Pakistan,
13:06like also Turkey
13:07and Qatar
13:08in order to broker
13:09a deal with Hamas.
13:11I think that
13:12we have to give a chance
13:14to our American friends
13:15to try to deliver
13:16this result,
13:18but it's important
13:19for them
13:19and important for us.
13:20And, you know,
13:22I'm not going to decide
13:24for them
13:25who they want
13:25to choose
13:26as a mediator.
13:28Are you of the impression
13:30that countries
13:30like Russia,
13:32Iran,
13:33China
13:33are now stronger
13:35than pre-28th of February
13:38and the reputation
13:39of countries
13:40like the United States
13:41may have taken a hit?
13:43Well, look,
13:44I know that
13:46there is a war
13:46of narratives now
13:47because, you know,
13:49different countries
13:50and different factions
13:51try to portray
13:52a certain picture.
13:54What I advise
13:55all your viewers
13:57is to look
13:58at the results
13:59on the ground.
14:00At the end of the day,
14:01what happened
14:02is that Israel
14:04and the United States
14:05have managed
14:06to conduct
14:07a very, very
14:08wide operation
14:10that has debilitated
14:12significantly
14:13the Iranian regime
14:14has changed
14:15the balance
14:16of power
14:16in our region
14:18without repeating
14:19things that
14:21the United States
14:21did in the past
14:22like, you know,
14:23full-fledged invasions
14:24of the country.
14:25So in terms
14:26of capital
14:28and lives lost,
14:29although it's
14:30very tragic,
14:30you know,
14:31in Israel
14:31we lost
14:3436 lives
14:35since the beginning
14:36of the operation
14:37including
14:3711 soldiers
14:39that died
14:39in combat
14:39in South Lebanon
14:42compared
14:42to the toll
14:43that we have
14:44taken from Iran
14:47you know,
14:47it's much smaller.
14:48It means that
14:49the balance of power
14:50has changed.
14:51It means that
14:52this regime
14:53has managed
14:53to alienate
14:54not only
14:54their own people
14:55but also
14:56the entire
14:56Gulf countries.
14:57You know,
14:58the Gulf countries
14:58are very, very
15:02reluctant
15:02from this regime
15:03and they have
15:04taken measures
15:05to defend themselves
15:06and I'm sure
15:07that we're going
15:08to continue
15:08to cooperate with them
15:09in order to increase
15:10our common defence.
15:12Permit me one question, sir.
15:14You know,
15:15you said that
15:15Israel and United States
15:17together went in
15:18for that operation
15:18to rescue the two pilots
15:20and it was a successful operation.
15:21Well, it was an American operation
15:22we gave some support.
15:24You gave some support.
15:25Iran claims
15:26this operation
15:27was a disaster
15:28as far as
15:29the Americans are concerned
15:30considering they lost
15:31about a dozen aircraft
15:32including the two C-130s,
15:34multiple helicopters
15:35and the mission
15:37was to take control
15:38of, you know,
15:39the enriched uranium.
15:41That flopped
15:41so it was converted
15:42into the story
15:43about a pilot rescue.
15:44Look, they are trying to,
15:45as I told you before,
15:46to create false narratives
15:48in order to fill the gap
15:50between the reality
15:52and what they are trying
15:53to portray.
15:54Okay?
15:55And it's up to the people
15:56to decide whether they want
15:57to believe this regime
15:58or not.
15:58My advice
15:59is to look
16:00at the data.
16:03Okay?
16:05The reality is
16:06that they haven't been able
16:09even after they called
16:11for a high price
16:12and sent people
16:14to try to capture
16:15this pilot.
16:16Yeah.
16:16400 kilometers
16:17into Iranian territory
16:18they haven't been able
16:19to capture it.
16:20So it means that
16:21they lack
16:22the cohesiveness
16:24that they need
16:25as an army
16:27to operate.
16:28It means that
16:29both the United States
16:30and Israel
16:30could do in Iran
16:32whatever they wanted
16:33almost for 40 days.
16:35And that tells you
16:37something
16:37about the situation
16:38of the Iranian armed forces.
16:41In this ceasefire period
16:43could they regroup,
16:44rearm and relaunch
16:45attacks on Israel
16:47and on American interests
16:48in the region?
16:49Well, they can get
16:50some oxygen
16:51but at the end of the day
16:52won't be able
16:53in two weeks
16:53to recover
16:54the hundreds
16:56and hundreds
16:56of billions
16:57of dollars
16:57of loss
16:58that they have,
16:59the equipment,
17:00the factories,
17:02the arsenal,
17:04okay,
17:05the capabilities,
17:07the huge amount
17:09of personnel
17:09they have lost.
17:10They won't be able
17:11to recover it
17:12and not only that,
17:14they are continuing
17:16to be exposed.
17:17Look, we took out
17:18the heads
17:19of their three
17:20intelligence agencies.
17:22Yes.
17:22Can you imagine that?
17:23So it means
17:23that we have
17:24complete control
17:25when it comes
17:26to intelligence
17:26and we know
17:27exactly what
17:28they are planning,
17:29what they are doing
17:29and if they try
17:31to go back
17:33to confrontation,
17:35they will continue
17:36suffering mass losses.
17:39So when I interviewed
17:40Ambassador John Bolton,
17:42the former US NSA,
17:44he says once an operation
17:45has been started,
17:46it has to be taken
17:47to its logical conclusion
17:48because a wounded regime
17:50is even more dangerous.
17:53Okay, look,
17:54there is this assumption
17:56that if you attack
17:59the person
18:00that wants to kill you,
18:02you will make him
18:04more murderers.
18:05Okay?
18:06I don't buy into that.
18:07I think that unfortunately
18:09this regime has shown
18:10time and again
18:11that they want
18:12to exterminate us.
18:13They were stating that
18:14in political statements.
18:15They were putting that
18:16on their squares
18:18in Tehran.
18:18They were building
18:19all these weapons
18:20of mass destruction.
18:21So we are not going
18:23to make them
18:24more murderers.
18:25We are going to weaken them
18:26and that is exactly
18:27what we did.
18:28Sir, for joining me here
18:30on India Today
18:31and sharing your thoughts,
18:32your views
18:32after 38 days
18:33of this conflict
18:34and the ceasefire
18:35and you're hopeful
18:36it will hold.
18:37The ceasefire will hold.
18:38I hope so.
18:39I don't know.
18:39Okay.
18:40Okay.
18:41Many thanks for joining me.
18:42Let's see if the ceasefire holds
18:43and what lies ahead.
18:45Many thanks for joining me
18:46here on India Today.
18:47Namaste.
18:48So Israel is confident
18:50that it's weakened
18:51the regime
18:52as much as possible
18:54and perhaps
18:55the destruction
18:56to their missile
18:57manufacturing capabilities,
18:58their factories
18:59will lead to
19:01perhaps in times
19:02that come
19:03for them
19:03to change
19:04from within.
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