00:00Trump calls Netanyahu difficult and warns of catastrophic consequences as Israel rejects Iran
00:06deal. Washington, Jerusalem, June 15th. President Donald Trump has accused Israeli Prime Minister
00:13Benjamin Netanyahu of nearly derailing the U.S.-Iran peace agreement, describing him as a
00:19difficult person who should be very grateful to the United States for negotiating the deal.
00:24In an interview with the New York Times on Sunday, following the announcement of the
00:29Memorandum of Understanding, Trump warned that if Iran acquires a nuclear weapon, Israel could face
00:35serious and potentially catastrophic consequences. The remarks underscore the growing strain between
00:41the two allies, particularly over Iran's nuclear program and the terms of the emerging agreement.
00:47Trump has previously criticized Netanyahu's judgment in a phone call, telling the Israeli leader he was
00:52pissed off at Israel's strike on Beirut and that Netanyahu has no fucking judgment, according to Axios.
00:59Deal to be signed in Geneva on June 19th. The Memorandum of Understanding between Tehran and
01:05Washington was announced on Sunday and will be signed in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday, June 19th.
01:11Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Qasem Haribabadi confirmed the signing date, adding that the
01:17agreement will open a 60-day negotiation period covering Iran's nuclear program and other outstanding
01:22issues. President Trump announced the deal on his Truth Social platform, writing,
01:27the deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all. He also
01:33authorized the toll-free opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the immediate removal of the United
01:38States naval blockade, adding, ships of the world, start your engines. Let the oil flow.
01:44Pakistan Prime Minister Shibhaj Sharif, who served as the key mediator, confirmed that both sides have
01:50declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in
01:55Lebanon. Key provisions of the agreement. According to Iranian media reports, the draft memorandum includes
02:03several key provisions. Release of frozen assets. The U.S. will release 50 percent of Iran's estimated
02:11$24 billion in frozen assets before formal negotiations begin, with the remainder to be released
02:18during the 60-day negotiation period. Suspension of oil sanctions. Sanctions on Iranian oil and the U.S.
02:26maritime blockade will be lifted. Non-interference commitment. The U.S. commits to non-interference in
02:33Iran's internal affairs and respect for Iranian sovereignty. Nuclear commitment. Iran reaffirms its
02:41commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, NPT, and pledges not to develop nuclear weapons.
02:48Crucially, Iran's ballistic missile program has been excluded from the negotiations entirely.
02:54Israel rejects the agreement. Israeli leaders have sharply rejected the deal, with National Security
03:00Minister Itamar Ben-Giver declaring,
03:03Trump's agreement does not bind us. We are not partners to this agreement that does not ensure our
03:08security. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel will not withdraw from security zones in
03:14southern Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria, and that the IDF will remain in the security zones without a time
03:20limit. Hezbollah, for its part, welcomed the agreement and expressed profound gratitude to Iran
03:26for insisting that Lebanon be included in any ceasefire arrangement. The group warned that it will not
03:31accept any aggression that violates its country's sovereignty. Fighting in Lebanon eases, but tensions
03:37remain. Relative calm returned to southern Lebanon on Monday following the announcement, though an Israeli
03:44drone strike killed one person in the town of Kfar Tebnet. A Hezbollah official told Reuters that the
03:50group had not carried out any operations since the deal was announced. Lebanon's official national news
03:56agency reported that Israeli forces renewed attacks on the Dahiya area south of Beirut, specifically in
04:02the Kuwait neighborhood. The IDF described the strikes as precise, targeting a Hezbollah command center used
04:09to coordinate attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers. The IDF ordered residents in 24 Lebanese
04:16towns and villages to evacuate, signaling growing security risks in the region. At least 10 people were
04:22killed in southern Lebanon on Saturday alone. Lebanese president Joseph Aoun warned that the country is at a
04:29crossroads, having to choose between becoming a sovereign state that controls its weapons and respects the rule of law,
04:36or remaining under the influence of militias and instability. Political fallout in Israel
04:42The agreement has sparked a political crisis for Netanyahu ahead of October elections. His far-right coalition partners have
04:51condemned the deal, and his political opponents have seized on Trump's criticism. The political defeat is
04:57greater than the military victories, political analyst Ben Kaspet wrote in the Israeli Daily Ma'ariv,
05:03arguing that Netanyahu had made himself hostage to Trump. The failure is enormous, the collapse is real,
05:11and Iran is the biggest winner, wrote analyst Avi Ashkenazi in Ma'ariv. Netanyahu himself has remained
05:18largely silent on the agreement. At a press conference Monday evening, he hardly mentioned the deal in
05:24his entire eight-minute opening statement, and did not boast about his relationship with Trump,
05:29a notable departure from his usual political messaging. When asked about the deal afterward,
05:35Netanyahu said,
05:36There are cases in which President Trump and I do not see eye to eye. I am responsible for Israel's
05:42security
05:43interests, and it needs to be done wisely.
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