Israel says Trump provided tools to finish the job against Iran axis

Israel's prime minister praised the US President for providing the weapons the Jewish state needs to fight against Iran and its armed allies in the region.

On Saturday, the Trump administration approved a nearly $3 billion arms deal for Israel, bypassing the usual congressional review. The deal includes additional 2,000-pound bombs for use in its conflict with Iran-backed militants in the Middle East.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday praised Trump's role in ensuring the supply of what he called critical military equipment, saying, "He has shown it by sending us all the munitions that were being held up."

"This way he is giving Israel the tools we need to finish the job against Iran’s terror axis," Netanyahu said, according to Israeli media reports.

He did not make clear whether he has received any green light from the White House for taking any action against Iran and its armed allies using the weapons provided by the Trump administration.

Since mid-2024, Israel has inflicted heavy blows against Iran's proxies in the region, especially weakening the Lebanese Hezbollah by eliminating hundreds of its fighters and most of its leadership.

Israel has also been considering attacks on Iran's nuclear sites and views its adversary as vulnerable, the Wall Street Journal reported last month citing US intelligence agencies' assessment in the waning days of the Joe Biden administration.

Israel is considering significant strikes on Iran in 2025 and views President Donald Trump as more amenable to their plans, the paper cited officials familiar with the assessment as saying.

US intelligence cited the risk of further conflict in the Middle East and characterized Iran as weakened following an Oct. 26 Israeli attack on Iran, adding that Israel views the window for denying Iran a nuclear weapons capability as fast closing.

Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon but Israel says its Mideast nemesis wants an atomic bomb and must be denied the power to destroy the Jewish state.