Leiter warns Tehran’s lies, terror proxies and nuclear ambitions demand verifiable pressure, not dangerous concessions.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Leiter, said Wednesday that Israel remains ready to resume military action alongside America if President Donald Trump decides renewed force is needed against Iran.
Speaking to Fox News, Leiter described the latest call between Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as short and calm, but said the two leaders remain in close contact as negotiations with Tehran face growing uncertainty.
Leiter emphasized the strength of the US-Israel alliance, saying Israel views itself as America’s model ally and junior partner. If Washington asks Israel to return to kinetic activity, he said, Israel is prepared to stand “side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder, wing-to-wing.”
The ambassador sharply criticized Iran’s leadership, accusing the ayatollahs of mass murder, deception and regional destabilization. He said any agreement with Tehran must be fully verifiable and must not allow Iran to preserve nuclear weapons capability, ballistic missile programs or funding for terror proxies.
Leiter warned that a weak deal would endanger Israel and the wider region by allowing Iran to continue supporting Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis. He expressed confidence that President Trump would not accept an agreement that leaves Iran free to threaten regional security.
Addressing threats from Israel’s borders, Leiter said the IDF’s operations in Gaza and southern Lebanon are intended to prevent another October 7 massacre. He stressed that Israel has no territorial ambitions, only one clear objective: protecting its people from Iranian-backed jihadist forces.
He also rejected accusations of genocide and starvation against Israel, calling them a malicious blood libel designed to demonize the Jewish state while ignoring the brutality of Iran and its proxies.
