Netanyahu holds up pager, says Israel has 'no other choice' but to win
The gesture, a reference to Israel's pager attack on Hezbollah, comes as US-Iran talks stall and oil holds above $80 a barrel.
Published
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held up a pager during a public appearance, invoking Israel's attack on Hezbollah that used the devices, and said "We're going to win, we have no other choice."
The display comes as diplomacy between Washington and Tehran has stalled. Washington and Tehran had been discussing a phased plan to lift the US blockade and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said he hopes the US and Iran can still reach agreement on the nuclear issue, according to CCTV.
An Israeli source has said Israel will strike Iranian nuclear sites again if Tehran crosses its red lines, and Netanyahu's remarks add to that signal. Earlier this month Brent crude climbed to $105.38 a barrel after Iranian airlines cancelled all flights to the United Arab Emirates.
Today oil is trading above $80 a barrel and equities are under pressure. Netanyahu's public display of Israel's attack capability, paired with combative language, undercuts the tentative de-escalation that markets had been pricing in earlier this month. With US-Iran talks stalled, Iranian flights grounded, and Israeli officials signaling that strikes on nuclear facilities could follow if red lines are crossed, the risk of direct conflict between the US and Iran has moved sharply higher, and investors are pricing that risk into both stocks and oil.