Yisrael Beytenu party leader Avigdor Liberman said any deal to end the Iran war would be “a catastrophe” and that the regime cannot be trusted because of the “fanatical leadership” in Tehran.
Speaking amid diplomatic efforts to bring about a permanent end to the US-Israel war with Iran, Liberman criticized what he implied were elements of the deal that would unfreeze Iranian assets worth vast sums of money and slammed Netanyahu for reportedly allowing US President Donald Trump to sideline him from negotiations.
“Any agreement from our point of view is a catastrophe, because any agreement leaves the ayatollahs in power,” Liberman told Channel 12’s “Meet the Press” program.
“There is a fanatical leadership there which says its supreme goal is to destroy Israel. It doesn’t matter what agreement they sign. I don’t know any intelligence agency in the world that believes the Iranians,” continued the veteran politician, who has served as defense minister among other senior ministerial roles, adding that he believed Tehran would eventually develop nuclear weapons.
Liberman criticized what he implied was an emerging part of the deal, the unfreezing of Iranian assets deposited in various countries worth what he said was $110 billion, and enabling Iran to freely sell oil and gas.
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Asked about Trump’s recent attitude toward Netanyahu and his relegation of Jerusalem in the negotiations with Tehran, Liberman accused Trump of humiliating Israel “with Netanyahu’s blessing.”
“Netanyahu has turned Israel into a banana republic,” said the Yisrael Beytenu chief, who, when asked, said that “of course you can say no to the US president.” Liberman did, however, express appreciation for Trump, in particular for bringing about the release of the hostages from Gaza, which he said would not have happened without the US president.
A woman holds the Iranian flag as she stands in front of an anti-US billboard in Tehran, Iran, on May 10, 2026. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
Liberman went on to condemn Netanyahu for failing to bring about a decisive victory on any of the fronts Israel has been fighting since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led invasion of Israel from Gaza.
“Someone who can’t win on any front in two and a half years will never win,” said Liberman.
And he slammed the prime minister for failing to deal with the threat of explosive drones from Lebanon, which have caused numerous casualties to IDF forces fighting in the country in recent weeks, including on Friday, as well as to civilians in the north.
“If he [Netanyahu] has time for social media clips, incitement videos, and doesn’t deal with the drones… soldiers are being killed, injured every day in Lebanon, and he is dealing with a military service evasion law — what are we talking about?” said Liberman, referencing efforts by the coalition to pass a law reinstating military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students.
“If we do not win in Lebanon, explosive drones will end up in Tel Aviv, Caesarea, and Haifa; it won’t be long.”
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