Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel’s bombing campaign in Iran “could certainly result” in regime change in Tehran.
The Israeli leader made the comments in an interview with Fox News host Brett Baier as Israeli missiles pounded Iran for a third day and Iranian counterattacks struck Israeli territory. Netanyahu claimed regime change was possible because the “regime is weak.”
“We’re geared to do whatever is necessary to achieve our dual aim, to remove … two existential threats – the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat,” Netanyahu said.
Two US officials claimed to Reuters on Sunday that President Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a report that Netanyahu wouldn’t comment on. There’s reason to be skeptical of claims from US and Israeli officials related to the war since the US and Israel reportedly engaged in a deception campaign ahead of the Israeli attacks on Iran.
Netanyahu also claimed that he shared intelligence with the US that Iran could have developed a nuclear weapon within months or a year, but the official position of US intelligence agencies is that there’s no evidence Tehran is seeking a nuclear bomb. Even based on Netanyahu’s own timeline, the US would have had time to continue negotiations with Iran.
Another claim Netanyahu made was that Iran wants to “kill” President Trump, and he insinuated that Tehran was involved in the two assassination attempts made against Trump when he was campaigning last year, even though there is no evidence that Iran was involved in either plot.
The Israeli leader told Baier that the US and Israel have been “fully coordinated” on Iran. “I’ve been in constant contact with President Trump,” he said. “We’ve known each other for many years. And obviously, we informed our American friends and President Trump, our great friend, ahead of time. We did.”
The US has supported the Israeli attack on Iran by preparing Israel’s military with new weapons, providing intelligence, and helping intercept Iranian missiles and drones fired at Israel. Sources have told Antiwar.com Editorial Director Scott Horton that the US is poised to support Israel with airstrikes on Iran, which could start as soon as Monday.
There’s no end in sight to the war that Netanyahu has launched against Iran, as both US and Israeli officials are saying it will last “weeks, not days.” Direct US involvement will almost certainly lead to Iran striking US military bases in the region, which could cause significant American casualties.
