CNN
—

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared his intention to “complete the mission” against Iran, with backing from US President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu made these remarks while hosting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is on his inaugural official visit to Israel.

“In the past 16 months, Israel has significantly undermined Iran’s terrorist network. With President Trump’s strong leadership… I firmly believe we can and will complete the job,” Netanyahu asserted.

Rubio emphasized that “a nuclear Iran is unacceptable.”

“We must consistently acknowledge that whether discussing Hamas, Hezbollah, violence in the West Bank, destabilization in Syria, or militia activity in Iraq, they all converge on one central issue – Iran,” Rubio stated.

“This is an issue that requires our attention,” he added.

Recent intelligence reports from US agencies have cautioned both the Biden and Trump administrations that Israel is likely to target crucial facilities tied to Iran’s nuclear development this year, according to insiders familiar with the situation.

Israel’s readiness to use military action contradicts President Trump’s current aim for a peaceful agreement with Tehran. Meanwhile, recent US intelligence has warned that significant attacks on Iranian nuclear sites could heighten the risk of a broader conflict in the Middle East.

Furthermore, a recent US intelligence report indicates that Israel continues to pursue a wider objective of promoting regime change in Iran.

Netanyahu claimed that he aligns with Trump on Gaza and its future, threatening to unleash significant repercussions if all hostages are not released.

This month, Trump proposed the idea of the US taking control over Gaza and permanently relocating Palestinians from the war-torn area, which sparked a wave of backlash.

“This may have astonished many,” Rubio remarked about the proposal, “but we can no longer afford to repeat the same patterns and end up in the same situation.”

Rubio’s visit coincided with the US delivering a shipment of heavy munitions to Israel. These bombs were dispatched after Trump’s administration lifted a restriction on deliveries, as confirmed by Israel’s Ministry of Defense on Sunday.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the MK-84 munitions “are a substantial asset for our Air Force and the IDF, further demonstrating the robust alliance between Israel and the United States,” in a statement from his ministry. Katz expressed gratitude to Trump and the US administration for their “steadfast support.”

The recent administration’s approval for the heavy bomb shipments reversed one of the few policies from the Biden era aimed at leveraging Israel during its conflict in Gaza. Former President Joe Biden had enacted restrictions on the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs due to concerns they might be used indiscriminately in densely populated Gaza areas.

Although this decision has strained relations between Biden and Netanyahu, it did not indicate any substantial changes in the conflict. Likewise, it did not significantly enhance Biden’s approval ratings among the war’s critics, who advocate for much stricter regulations on US arms sales to Israel.

Salama Maroof, head of Gaza’s Government Media Office, condemned the US’s decision to supply heavy munitions. “Instead of delivering food, medical supplies, water, or shelter for the victims in Gaza, the United States, which prides itself as a champion of human rights, continues to support the military actions with 1,800 heavy MK bombs,” Maroof stated.

Rubio arrived in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, welcomed by Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, marking the beginning of his regional visit. He met with Netanyahu at his Jerusalem office on Sunday morning.

This meeting occurred a day after Hamas released three Israeli hostages as part of a US-brokered ceasefire, although the fragile nature of this truce was highlighted again on Sunday when Hamas reported that an Israeli strike had killed three police officers in Gaza, labeling it a “severe breach.”

Before meeting Netanyahu, Secretary Rubio participated in a mass at the historic Church of the Holy Sepulchre, as noted by a State Department official.