Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Sunday his commitment to “complete the mission” against Iran, with backing from US President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu made these remarks during a joint appearance with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is on his inaugural official visit to Israel since taking office.

“In the past 16 months, Israel has delivered a significant blow to Iran’s terror network. With President Trump’s strong leadership, I am confident that we can and will complete this mission,” Netanyahu stated.

Rubio emphasized that a nuclear Iran is unacceptable.

“It is crucial to recognize that whether we discuss Hamas, Hezbollah, violence in the West Bank, instability in Syria, or the militias in Iraq, they all share a common thread – Iran,” Rubio noted.

“This issue must be addressed,” he added.

Recent warnings from US intelligence agencies to both the Biden and Trump administrations indicate that Israel is likely to target facilities critical to Iran’s nuclear program this year, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Israel’s readiness to employ military action contrasts with President Trump’s current aim for a peace agreement with Tehran, and recent US intelligence assessments suggest that significant strikes on Iranian nuclear sites could heighten the risk of a broader conflict in the Middle East.

Additionally, Israel continues to pursue the overarching objective of regime change in Iran, as indicated by a recent US intelligence report.

The Israeli Prime Minister asserted that he shares a unified strategy with Trump regarding Gaza and its future, threatening to unleash severe consequences if all hostages are not released.

This month, Trump suggested that the United States should take control of Gaza and permanently relocate Palestinians from the war-torn region, sparking widespread backlash.

Rubio commented on the proposal, stating, “While it may have shocked and surprised many, we cannot continue the same cycle that leads us back to the same situation repeatedly.”

Heavy bombs shipment

Coinciding with Rubio’s visit, the United States dispatched a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel. This delivery followed the Trump administration’s recent decision to lift a hold on these munitions, as confirmed by Israel’s Ministry of Defense on Sunday.

Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, remarked that the MK-84 munitions shipment “is a significant asset for the Air Force and the IDF, further demonstrating the strong alliance between Israel and the United States.” He expressed gratitude to Trump and the U.S. administration for their “steadfast support.”

The current administration’s approval of the heavy bomb shipments reversed one of the few policies from the Biden era aimed at applying pressure on Israel during its conflict in Gaza. Former President Joe Biden had imposed restrictions on the delivery of the 2,000-pound bombs due to concerns about their potential indiscriminate use by Israel’s military in densely populated areas of Gaza.

The decision to send heavy bombs has created tensions between Biden and Netanyahu, yet it did not signal any significant shifts in the ongoing conflict. Additionally, it failed to enhance Biden’s reputation among war critics, who have been advocating for stricter limitations on American arms sales to Israel.

Salama Maroof, head of Gaza’s Government Media Office, condemned the US’s choice to supply heavy munitions. “Rather than providing food, medicine, water, or shelter and construction materials to the victims in the Gaza Strip, the United States, which prides itself as the first democracy and a champion of human rights, is instead backing the occupying forces with 1,800 heavy MK bombs,” Maroof stated.

Senator Rubio arrived in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening, where he was welcomed by Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar at the start of his regional visit. He met with Netanyahu at his office in Jerusalem the following morning.

This visit followed the release of three Israeli hostages by Hamas as part of a US-brokered ceasefire agreement. However, the fragile nature of this truce was highlighted again on Sunday when Hamas reported that an Israeli airstrike resulted in the deaths of three police officers in Gaza, which they termed a “serious violation.”

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