Netanyahu urges Trump to 'distrust and verify everything' in Iran deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was "very skeptical" about the prospects of a U.S.-brokered agreement addressing Iran’s nuclear program.

Speaking in Jerusalem on Sunday at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations’ 51st Annual National Leadership Mission, Netanyahu referenced his recent meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and reiterated his position on the need to disarm Hamas.

Netanyahu said that Trump wants to exhaust all diplomatic options with the Islamic Republic of Iran before choosing the military option. 

According to Netanyahu, Trump believes "Tehran feels like it missed a chance to reach a deal last time and wants to reach one this time." However, Netanyahu expressed his doubts about a deal with the regime. 

“I will not hide from you that I express my skepticism of any deal with Iran, because, frankly, Iran is reliable on one thing – that they lie and they cheat,” Netanyahu said. 

He said he told Trump, “Distrust. Distrust, and always verify.” 

However, the prime minister said he presented Trump with the terms he believes must be included in any deal with the Islamic Republic. 

“If a deal is reached, it should have several components that we believe are important not only for the security of Israel but for the security of the US, the region, and the world,” Netanyahu said. 

Netanyahu said that the deal should include the removal of all enriched uranium from Iran – along with the dismantling of all enrichment infrastructure – to ensure it cannot enrich additional uranium. Netanyahu stressed that Iran's ballistic missiles should be limited to a range of 300 kilometers (about 185 miles), to prevent them from targeting Israel. 

Lastly, Netanyahu said that the deal must include an end to the Islamic Republic’s support for its terror proxies, including Hamas. 

Turning to the situation in Gaza, the prime minister said Israel is “giving Trump's plan a chance.” 

However, Netanyahu indicated that Israel is holding firm regarding the demand to disarm Hamas, which means “it must give up its weapons.” 

He rejected the idea that Hamas might be allowed to keep its Kalashnikov rifles.

“There’s practically no heavy weapons in Gaza,” Netanyahu told the leaders. “There’s no artillery. There’s no tanks. There’s nothing.” 

“The heavy weapon, the one that does the most damage, is called an AK-47,” Netanyahu stated. “That’s how they execute people. That’s how they shoot our people. That’s what they use. Assault rifles. That’s what they used in the massacre of October 7. That’s what they used. They did the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust with AK-47s.” 

Netanyahu on Hamas:

There are practically no heavy weapons in Gaza. There's no artillery, there are no tanks, there's nothing.

The heavy weapon, the one that does the most damage, is called an AK-47. Okay? That's it. That's how they execute people. That's how they shoot our… pic.twitter.com/PDm9vUb3WA

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) February 15, 2026

Netanyahu reported that there are around 60,000 AK-47 rifles in the Gaza Strip, saying, “They have to go outside.” 

He also reaffirmed that all terror infrastructure, including the extensive tunnel system, must be destroyed as part of the peace plan. 

“We have to complete the job," he affirmed, noting that Israel has only destroyed about 150 km (over 90 miles) of an estimated 500 km (310 miles) of tunnels. 

"Gaza will not pose a threat ever again," Netanyahu stated.