Netanyahu Says U.S. and Israel Must Topple Iranian Regime

Netanyahu Says U.S. and Israel Must Topple Iranian Regime

Netanyahu Orders IDF and Mossad to Overthrow Tehran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a direct order Wednesday for the country's military and intelligence services to overthrow the Iranian regime. Speaking at an officer graduation ceremony at the Bahad 1 training base in southern Israel, Netanyahu accused Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei of "deciding to follow in his father's footsteps" and attempting "once again to develop the bombs of death." He declared that "there is only one way to remove this threat once and for all: to topple the regime in Iran," calling it his directive to the Israel Defense Forces, the Mossad, and the security agencies.

"Iran Has Not Learned Its Lesson": Nuclear Threat

Netanyahu said the Iranian regime "still has not learned its lesson," accusing Mojtaba Khamenei of having "pulled the safety catch" as Iran "is once again trying to develop its weapons of death." He described the regime as so fanatical that it would continue pursuing nuclear weapons and rebuilding its regional proxy axis "as long as it lives." Defense Minister Israel Katz, speaking at the same ceremony, warned that "if Iran attacks Israel, Iran will burn."

Joint U.S.-Israel Objective: "Finish the Job"

Netanyahu said he had discussed toppling the Iranian regime with U.S. President Donald Trump "more than once," including "the day before yesterday." He quoted Trump as saying, "We are ready to finish the job, but we will do it only with you, the State of Israel." Following a Sunday phone call, Netanyahu released a video urging supporters to vote for his Likud party, writing "Together, we will remove the Iranian threat forever!" Trump publicly endorsed Netanyahu on Sunday, calling him a "Great Warrior Prime Minister" and "an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran." U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Netanyahu on Monday at the Uvda air force base in Israel's Negev desert.

Military and Economic Pressure on the Regime

U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said America's "compounding" economic suffocation campaign against Iran is being felt across all sectors of its economy, including the military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Cooper stated that Iran-aligned militia groups across the region are withholding payments to their own soldiers to funnel money back to the IRGC, which itself is not paying its troops. Netanyahu claimed Israel has completed "90 percent of the work" to neutralize immediate threats, framing the remaining task as removing the Tehran regime itself.

Election Countdown: Netanyahu's Political Gamble

Israel's Knesset election is set for October 27, and polls show Netanyahu's Likud trailing the Yashar party led by former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot — a Kan survey gave Yashar 22 seats and Likud 20, with neither bloc reaching the 61-seat threshold needed to govern. Netanyahu has made regime change in Iran the centerpiece of his campaign, arguing that only he can manage the Iran threat alongside Trump. The 77-year-old is Israel's longest-serving prime minister, having held office for more than 19 years. The IDF declined to livestream the ceremony over concerns about electioneering.

International Reaction and Feasibility Doubts

Iran International noted that Netanyahu seeks to topple the regime while Trump seeks a good agreement with that same regime, warning that the two leaders' strategic objectives could diverge. Al Jazeera cited experts questioning feasibility: "You cannot change a regime unless you are prepared to deploy troops and stay in the country for some years. Israel cannot control Iran. The United States would not engage in another regime change, which could take decades." In a Fox News interview, Netanyahu said Iran is developing intercontinental missiles capable of reaching the United States, and that eliminating the Iranian threat would be his top priority if re-elected on October 27, ahead of expanding the Abraham Accords and artificial intelligence development.