Netanyahu requests delay in corruption trial testimony amid Iran ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the court responsible for his corruption trial to postpone his testimony, citing “security concerns.” 

His lawyer made the request in a court filing on Friday.

Netanyahu's long-running corruption trial was set to resume on Sunday, after Israel lifted a state of emergency imposed over its war of aggression on Iran following Wednesday's ceasefire announcement. 

The defense said it was prepared to continue ⁠hearing the testimony of a prosecution witness.

"Due to classified security and diplomatic reasons connected ... to the dramatic events that have taken place … in recent times, the Prime Minister will not be able to testify in the proceeding for at least the next two weeks," the filing said.

It said that a sealed envelope detailing the classified ‌reasons ⁠was delivered to the court, which will rule once the prosecution submits its response.

Netanyahu, the first sitting Israeli prime minister to be charged with a crime, denies charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust brought in ⁠2019 after years of investigations.

His trial, which began in 2020 and could lead to jail terms, has been repeatedly delayed due to various wars his cabinet has initiated, including the Gaza genocide since 2023, which has killed at least 72,000 Palestinians, two wars of aggression against Iran in 2025 and 2026, and recurring assaults on Lebanon since 2023, with ⁠no end date in sight.

The charges against Netanyahu, along with the al-Aqsa Flood Operation conducted by Palestinians resistance movements in October 2023, have damaged his standing. 

Israel is due to hold an election in October that Netanyahu's coalition, the most right-wing in Israel's history, is likely to lose, according to polls.

On February 28, Israel, under Netanyahu, and along with the US, began a war of aggression against Iran by attacking 30 targets across the capital and assassinating several high-ranking Iranian officials, including the Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Akhemeni.

Iranian armed forces responded by launching almost daily missile and drone operations targeting locations in the Israeli-occupied territories as well as US military bases and assets across the region.

On April 8, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) announced that there was an agreement to a Pakistan-brokered temporary ceasefire after the US accepted Iran’s 10-point proposal.

Following the announcement of the ceasefire, the leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, condemned Netanyahu’s actions, saying he failed to achieve any of the goals of the war, while Iranian armed forces managed to inflict severe damage upon US-Israeli interests in the region.

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