Netanyahu says Israel forming regional alliances with Arab states to counter Iran

Countries that once dismissed Israeli warnings about Iran are now reassessing the threat, the prime minister said.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ministers at a Cabinet meeting this week that Israel is building alliances with Arab countries to confront Iran, signaling expanded regional coordination as the conflict continues.

Netanyahu described the outreach as part of a broader regional shift, saying countries that once dismissed Israeli warnings about Iran are now reassessing the threat.

According to remarks cited by Maariv, Netanyahu said past discussions with Arab leaders did not resonate at the time.

“In the past, I had secret conversations with Arab leaders,” Netanyahu reportedly said. “I told them, ‘As soon as Iran can, it will conquer you and overthrow your kingdoms.’ Back then, they didn’t really internalize things. Today they understand.”

He said Israel is now advancing ties with “important countries in the region,” without naming them, and indicated that additional agreements could soon be made public. “We are creating new alliances with important countries in the region,” he said. “Soon, I will be able to tell you more about these important pacts.”

Separately, Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter described increased engagement with Gulf states. Speaking Monday on the “What the Hell is Going On” podcast, he said multiple countries have sought closer coordination with Israel.

“Some of our allies have become even greater allies over the past month,” Leiter said. “Whether it’s UAE, Bahrain, I think we’ve become closer to the Saudis, closer to the Omanis. Closer to the Kuwaitis, for crying out loud. They’ve asked us for assistance.”

Netanyahu linked the diplomatic activity to recent military developments, saying Israeli operations have reduced Iran’s capabilities.

He said Israel had eliminated immediate threats tied to Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile arsenal and had also damaged its ability to produce such weapons. “We brought a complementary achievement by smashing the industrial capability of the regime to produce these tools of destruction,” he said.

He also pointed to changes in the regional balance, stating that Hezbollah no longer poses “a strategic threat” to Israel. Netanyahu added that pressure on Tehran could lead to broader change, saying, “Sooner or later, the Iranian regime will fall.”