Netanyahu admits the collapse of the Tehran regime is uncertain: Only the Iranians can topple it
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's military offensive would continue, but admitted it was uncertain whether the war would ultimately lead to the collapse of the Iranian regime, Reuters and the Times of Israel reported.
Speaking in his first press conference since the start of the war between Israel and Iran, Netanyahu said the Islamic Republic had already been significantly weakened after nearly two weeks of Israeli and US airstrikes that targeted military, nuclear and security infrastructure.
The Israeli leader also issued a veiled threat to Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who took over after his father, Iran's former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was killed in the initial phase of the US-Israeli military campaign.
“I would not issue life insurance policies on any of the leaders of terrorist organizations,” Netanyahu said when asked if Israel could target Mojtaba Khamenei or Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem.
As the press conference was taking place, Iranian missile warning sirens rang out across much of central Israel.
A war directed against Iran's nuclear and ballistic programs
Netanyahu said Israel's military offensive was launched as Iran resumed and accelerated its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development programs after the 12-day war between Israel and Iran last year.
According to the Israeli prime minister, Israel had previously warned the Iranian leadership not to rebuild these programs. Instead, he said, Tehran stepped up its efforts and moved key facilities deeper underground, which would have made them harder to hit.
“If we had not acted immediately, within months Iran's death industries would have become immune to any attack,” Netanyahu said.
He said the joint US-Israeli operation is aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles capable of threatening Israel, the United States and other countries.
Israel has already struck Iran's nuclear infrastructure and killed a “very important nuclear scientist,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel still had “many more surprises” in store.
Iranian state media on Thursday aired a statement attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, described as his first since becoming supreme leader, although he was not seen or heard directly.
Netanyahu described the younger Khamenei as a “puppet” of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and said he did not dare to appear publicly.
Regime change remains uncertain
Although Israel hopes the war will weaken the Iranian government and could spark internal unrest, Netanyahu has acknowledged that such an outcome is not guaranteed.
“I will not go into detail about the steps we are taking. We are creating the optimal conditions for the overthrow of the regime, but I will not deny that I cannot say with certainty that the Iranian people will overthrow the regime – a regime is overthrown from within.”
Addressing the Iranian people directly, Netanyahu said Israel's actions were meant to give them an opportunity to rise up against their rulers.
“You can lead someone to water, but you can't make them drink,” he said.
Although many Iranians have expressed dissatisfaction with the government in recent years — and some of the population celebrated the death of Ali Khamenei — there have been no major protests since the war began.
However, Netanyahu has argued that Iran's power has already been significantly reduced.
“It's just a different Iran — it's not as threatening as it used to be,” he said.
Hezbollah opens a second front
The conflict has also heightened tensions along Israel's northern border with Lebanon, where the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah resumed rocket attacks earlier this month.
Hezbollah said its attacks were a response to the killing of Ali Khamenei. On Wednesday night alone, the group fired about 200 rockets into northern Israel, raising fresh concerns about the size of its remaining arsenal.
Israel responded with massive airstrikes and sent troops deeper into Lebanese territory.
Netanyahu has warned that if the Lebanese government does not disarm Hezbollah — as stipulated in the November 2024 ceasefire agreement — Israel could intervene directly.
“Take your fate into your own hands,” he said, addressing Lebanon's leadership.
However, the prime minister did not confirm whether Israel plans to launch a large-scale ground offensive in Lebanon.
He also rejected suggestions that Israel had exaggerated losses previously suffered by Hezbollah. While acknowledging that the group still has some capabilities, Netanyahu insisted that it has been severely weakened.
Before the escalation of Israeli operations in 2024, Hezbollah reportedly had about 150,000 rockets and ballistic missiles, capable of causing massive destruction in Israeli cities.
New regional alliances
Netanyahu said Israel's offensive against Iran and its allies is already beginning to change the political dynamic in the region.
According to the prime minister, several countries are cooperating with Israel against Iran — some quietly, others more openly.
“These days, my team and I are building additional alliances with countries in the region — alliances that a few weeks ago would have seemed unimaginable,” he said, without naming the states involved.
He also emphasized the close cooperation between Israel and the United States during the conflict.
Netanyahu said he recently spoke with US President Donald Trump, who reportedly told him that the relationship between the two is stronger than any previous relationship between a US president and an Israeli prime minister.
Domestic political issues
In addition to the war, Netanyahu has also addressed domestic political matters, including his corruption trial, in which he is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
The prime minister again described the case as politically motivated and called on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to end the trial.
Trump has publicly criticized Herzog for refusing to grant Netanyahu a pardon, even calling him “weak and pathetic” in a recent interview.
Netanyahu said he had not asked Trump to intervene, but added that US presidents have the right to “speak their minds”.
He also warned that it would be madness for Israel's Supreme Court to trigger a wartime constitutional crisis by removing National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on charges of abuse of power.
Netanyahu said his government had temporarily delayed legislation exempting ultra-Orthodox students from military service, an important demand of his coalition partners.
The delay, he explained, is necessary to ensure the passage of the state budget before the legal deadline at the end of the month. If the budget is not approved, the government would automatically fall and snap elections would be triggered.
Netanyahu said he expected the current coalition to see its mandate through to the end, with new elections likely expected in September or October.
Netanyahu appeared confident in Israel's military campaign.
“Our enemies don't disappear overnight,” he said. “But look at our amazing successes.”
