JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he has already spoken with President-elect Donald Trump three times since his election victory last Tuesday. Those conversations may determine what takes place next in the Middle East.
Netanyahu insists he and the incoming president are on the same page about the threat Iran poses to the world.
"These were very good and important conversations – talks designed to further tighten the strong alliance between Israel and the USA. We see eye to eye on the Iranian threat, on all its components, and the danger posed by it," the prime minister stated.
In the meantime, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his foreign ministry are hinting they may be trying to accelerate their nuclear weapons development.
Esmail Baghaei, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, declared, "Our official stance in rejecting weapons of mass destruction and the peaceful nature of our nuclear program is absolutely clear. Meanwhile, as emphasized in the supreme leader's recent speech, we will get equipped with whatever is necessary to defend Iran."
Baghei also denied Iran is trying to assassinate Trump. However, U.S. officials say they thwarted just such a plot.
"Iran knows that the moment he gets sworn in, maximum pressure is coming," said Israeli Special Operations veteran Aaron Cohen. "So you can make all the threats they want. But really, this is about containing individual assassins. DOJ (the U.S. Department of Justice) just released that report about that individual who was planning to kill Trump."
WATCH: CBN News Analysis from Jerusalem
Despite the advances Israel Defense Forces are making in southern Lebanon, Ayatollah Khamenei claims Iran's proxy Hezbollah will prevail.
"The enemy hasn't been able to overcome this organization, and it won't be, God willing," Khamenei intoned. "And the world and the region will see the day when the Zionist regime is clearly defeated by these fighters in the path of Allah."
The IDF continues to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure throughout southern Lebanon. Troops discovered a large complex buried underneath a cemetery and are filling it with concrete.
Over the weekend, Israel returned nearly 2,000 Israelis from Amsterdam on emergency flights after Thursday night's organized brutal assault on Jewish soccer fans by radical Muslims.
Eran Zahavi, captain of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer club, recalled, "We all saw what happened – shameful. This is the world we live in now, unfortunately. Our fans were very intimidated when they went through the worst there. Unfortunately, they came to see soccer and that's what happened."
Dutch leaders condemned the attacks and Israel's new Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar flew to Amsterdam, warning Europeans that such attacks cannot be tolerated.
"Radical Islam is dangerous not only to the Middle East, not only to Israel. It is dangerous to Western society." Sa'ar said.
He added, "If you compromise with this mob that made (Thursday) these barbaric attacks in the streets of Amsterdam, finally you cannot recognize the society and country you are living in. This is the real danger today."
Netanyahu drew a connection between the attacks and the recent ruling of the International Court of Justice at The Hague.
“In both cases, it is a dangerous antisemitism that aims to make the Jews and their country helpless," Netanyahu declared.
On Sunday, thousands of Dutch citizens, marching and singing, came out to support Israel and the Jewish people.
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