Netanyahu: Iran Decimated, But Ground Component Needed for Regime Change
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Thursday that Iran is being significantly impacted by ongoing U.S.-Israeli operations targeting its ballistic missile and nuclear programs. However, he emphasized that achieving meaningful regime change in Iran will require a “ground component.”
“You don’t want to replace one ayatollah with another,” Netanyahu said during a press conference. “You don’t want to replace Hitler with Hitler.” He believes the Iranian people must ultimately “rise to the moment,” adding, “We can create the conditions, but they have to, you know, they have to exploit those conditions at a certain point.”
Netanyahu clarified that a revolution cannot be achieved “only from the air.” While acknowledging the impact of airstrikes, he asserted, “You can do a lot of things from the air, and we’re doing [them,] but … there has to be a ground component as well.” He left open the possibility that this ground action could seize various forms, stating, “There are many possibilities for this ground component, and I take the liberty of not sharing with you all those possibilities.”
These comments followed a statement from President Donald Trump, delivered in the Oval Office, that he would not deploy U.S. Troops to the Middle East. AP News
Netanyahu as well repeatedly denied accusations that Israel instigated the conflict with Iran, asserting that Trump required no convincing regarding the nuclear threat posed by Iran. “He explained it to me, I didn’t explain it to him,” the prime minister said.
The joint U.S.-Israeli campaign, dubbed Operation Roaring Lion, aims to dismantle the threat posed by the Ayatollah regime in Iran, targeting facilities of the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij, as well as ballistic missile sites threatening both Israel and U.S. Forces. The Times of Israel
Following the air strikes, Netanyahu declared Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been destroyed. MSN
The conflict is expected to strengthen Netanyahu’s position domestically, while potentially creating challenges for Trump and Gulf states. Reuters