The Israeli ambassador to the United States stated that the war will not be over until Iran's connections with its proxy groups in the Middle East are completely severed.
On 12 Apr 2026 GMT+7, Yeshayahu Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, said that for Israel, this war “will not end until the relationship between Iran and its various proxy groups is fully cut off,” although he noted there was still “one more week for possible (peace) negotiations” between Iran and the U.S.
In an interview on the CBS television program “Face the Nation” just hours after lengthy negotiations between the U.S. and Iran failed to reach an agreement, Leiter said he did not believe those talks “would make much progress, but it is important to give the talks a chance.”
However, he insisted on the necessity of Israel's military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, a group supported by Iran, despite the risk that the attacks could undermine the fragile two-week ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran.
Following Israel's major strike in Lebanon on Wednesday (8 Apr), U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said Israel agreed to “exercise a bit more self-restraint,” though Leiter declined to detail what was discussed, explaining, “Operational matters are not something to discuss on Sunday morning television.”
Leiter added, “We discussed cooperating with President (Trump's) efforts in the Arabian Gulf region,” and reaffirmed that the U.S. and Israel continue to have “close and coordinated cooperation.”
He also stated that Israel’s Wednesday attack “targeted Hezbollah’s operations center.”
Although Israel continues its strikes in Lebanon, there have been some talks aimed at ending the fighting. Leiter said he had “excellent conversations” with the Lebanese ambassador to Washington and the U.S. ambassador to Beirut last Friday.
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Source:cnn