Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a “clear, decisive majority” among Jewish and Zionist voters after Tuesday’s parliamentary election, calling for a strong right-wing government and describing cooperation with President Donald Trump to confront Iran as a historic opportunity.

Speaking to cheering supporters in Jerusalem early Wednesday, Netanyahu asserted that his political camp had a mandate to govern despite projections showing neither his coalition nor the opposition had won enough seats to control the 120-member Knesset.

“We must establish a strong national right-wing government,” Netanyahu said. “That is what needs to be done.”

Revised exit polls shifted in Netanyahu’s favor overnight, erasing an early advantage for the opposition led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. Channel 12 projected 52 seats for Netanyahu’s bloc, 50 for the Jewish-led opposition and 18 for Arab parties. Other broadcasters projected varying results, with some showing the principal blocs tied and Channel 14 giving Netanyahu’s camp as many as 60 seats.

All five major broadcasters projected Netanyahu’s Likud party as the largest individual party, with some estimates putting it at 27 seats. Eisenkot’s Yashar party was projected to win approximately 21 or 22 seats. However, none of the exit polls established a clear parliamentary majority for either side.

Netanyahu accused Israeli television networks of deliberately understating Likud’s support in pre-election polling, claiming their projections were intended to discourage his supporters from voting. He criticized what he called the “propaganda channels” for previously estimating that Likud would win only 18 or 19 seats.

Opposition leaders had declared Netanyahu defeated following the initial projections. Eisenkot called on the prime minister to accept the result and leave politics, while former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, whose alliance with opposition leader Yair Lapid was projected to win approximately 12 seats, also declared that Netanyahu’s government was finished.

The election has left both camps facing difficult coalition negotiations, particularly because Arab parties are projected to hold approximately 18 or 19 seats. Netanyahu rejected forming a government that depends on their support, accusing Arab political factions of opposing Zionism and threatening Israel’s security.

“We must not, absolutely must not, endanger Israel by establishing a government that relies on anti-Zionist Arab parties,” Netanyahu said.

He also criticized the opposition’s proposed “alliance of those who serve,” arguing that its leaders were hypocritical for opposing exemptions from military service while considering cooperation with Arab parties whose representatives, he claimed, had condemned Israeli soldiers.

The opposition faces its own challenge in assembling a majority. Under Channel 12’s projections, the Jewish-led opposition’s 50 seats combined with the seven projected for Mansour Abbas’s Ra’am party would total only 57, four short of the 61 needed to govern. Other Arab-led factions could potentially provide additional support, but cooperation with them remains politically contentious among several opposition parties.

Netanyahu’s bloc also falls short of a majority under most projections, leaving him dependent on coalition negotiations unless the final results substantially change the balance. A broader unity government or another election could emerge if neither camp can assemble a workable coalition.

The political uncertainty carries implications for Israel’s relationship with Washington and its strategy toward Iran. Trump publicly endorsed Netanyahu twice during the final week of the campaign, reinforcing the close political relationship between the two leaders.

Netanyahu used his election-night address to argue that Israel’s military campaigns had weakened its adversaries and transformed the regional balance of power. He cited the killing of senior leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, the reported elimination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and Israeli security zones in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

“Iran is weaker than ever, and Israel is stronger than ever,” Netanyahu declared.

He nevertheless warned that Iran remained a threat as long as its current government remained in power.

“This is not over as long as this fanatical regime exists,” he said.

Netanyahu then framed cooperation with Trump as an opportunity to address what he described as an existential danger to Israel.

“Israel stands before a historic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, together with our partner President Trump, to remove the existential threat from Iran once and for all,” Netanyahu said. “We must not, absolutely must not, allow any extraneous considerations to divert us from this sacred mission.”

His remarks came amid reports that Washington was preparing regional partners for the possibility of renewed military action against Iran after the U.S. midterm elections. The White House has not announced such an operation.

Meanwhile, election officials continued counting ballots, including special ballots cast by soldiers and reservists. The final distribution of seats will determine which lawmaker has the strongest chance of forming a government.

Once the results are finalized, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will consult with Knesset factions before deciding whom to task with assembling a governing coalition. Netanyahu will remain prime minister until a successor government takes office.

Despite Likud’s projected position as the largest party, Netanyahu’s political future will depend on whether he can secure sufficient parliamentary support. The election has given him grounds to claim continued support among right-wing voters, but the path to a governing majority remains unresolved.