Jerusalem, Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a veiled threat toward Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, while acknowledging that Israel’s joint air campaign with the United States may not lead to the collapse of Tehran’s clerical government.
Netanyahu’s comments at first wartime press conference
Holding his first press conference since the start of the war, Netanyahu said Iran was “no longer the same” after nearly two weeks of bombardment, adding that Tehran had suffered blows to its elite Revolutionary Guards Corps and Basij paramilitary force.
Netanyahu was asked what actions Israel might take against Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem. He said: “I wouldn’t issue life insurance policies on any of the leaders of the terrorist organization … I don’t intend to provide an exact report here about what we are planning or what we are going to do.”
As Netanyahu spoke, sirens warning of incoming missile fire from Iran sounded across much of central Israel.
Israel’s stated objectives in Iran
Israel has said the aim of its assault on Iran is to eliminate what it views as the existential threat posed by Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. It also says it wants to cause a collapse of government by encouraging Iranians to rise up.
Hezbollah and regional hostilities
Netanyahu said Israel would keep hitting Lebanon’s Hezbollah after the Iran-backed group opened fire on March 2 to avenge Israel’s killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei’s father, at the start of the war.
Prospects for internal unrest in Iran
While many Iranians want change and some openly celebrated the death of Ali Khamenei, whose security forces killed thousands of anti-government protesters just weeks ago, there has been no sign of protest since the war began.
Asked whether Israel was arming opponents of Iran’s rulers and whether it might fail to achieve a collapse of government, Netanyahu said that even if the government did not fall, it would remain weak.
“I will not detail the actions we are taking. We are creating the optimal conditions for toppling the regime but I won’t deny that I can’t tell you with all certainty that the people of Iran will topple the regime – a regime is toppled from the inside,” Netanyahu said.
What do you think Netanyahu’s remarks indicate about Israel’s next steps in the conflict?