Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation in a televised statement that left little room for optimism about lasting peace. “The ceasefire is not the end — we can continue the war,” he declared, framing Iran as “a weak country” that had been “forced to open the Strait of Hormuz.” He further insisted that Iran’s enriched nuclear material “must be removed from the country, either through a negotiated agreement or through continued military action.”
The rhetoric drew sharp criticism from Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who told CNN that Israel’s attacks on Lebanon were “counterproductive.” Mitsotakis also pushed back against the idea of tolls being imposed on passage through the Strait of Hormuz, signaling European concern about both the security and economic dimensions of the crisis.
