Netanyahu: Iran war not over; regime change still possible

Israel’s prime minister suggests Iranian regime can be toppled, promotes end to US military aid to Israel.

By World Israel News Staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said over the weekend that Israel’s war with Iran is “not over,” warning that Tehran still retains enriched uranium, nuclear sites, ballistic missile capabilities and regional proxies despite heavy damage inflicted during the conflict.

“I think it accomplished a great deal, but it’s not over, because there’s still nuclear material, enriched– uranium that has to be taken out of Iran,” Netanyahu said in a “60 Minutes” interview aired on CBS News Sunday.

“There are still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled. There are still proxies that Iran supports. There are ballistic missiles that they still want to produce.”

Asked how the enriched uranium should be removed, Netanyahu said, “You go in, and you take it out.”

He declined to say whether that could be done by Israeli or US special forces but said President Donald Trump had told him, “I want to go in there.”

Netanyahu also said fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon could continue even if the confrontation with Iran is resolved, rejecting any linkage between the two fronts.

“What Iran would like to do is to say, ‘No, you know, if we achieve a ceasefire here, we want a ceasefire there,’” he said.

Asked whether he would accept that, Netanyahu replied, “No.”

He said the collapse or weakening of Iran’s regime could have far-reaching consequences for Tehran’s regional network.

“If this regime is indeed weakened or possibly toppled, I think it’s the end of Hezbollah, it’s the end of Hamas, it’s probably the end of the Houthis, because the whole scaffolding of the terrorist proxy network that Iran built collapses if the regime in Iran collapses,” Netanyahu said.

Asked directly whether the Iranian regime could be toppled, Netanyahu said, “Is it possible? Yes. Is it guaranteed? No.”

Netanyahu denied a New York Times report that he had presented regime change as a certain outcome during discussions with Trump before the war.

“We both agreed, you know, that there was both uncertainty and risk involved,” he said. “There’s danger in action, in taking action. But there’s greater danger in not taking action.”

Netanyahu also said Israel had not fully anticipated Iran’s ability or willingness to threaten the Strait of Hormuz, saying the risks became clearer as the war continued.

“No, I don’t claim perfect foresight, and nobody had perfect foresight. Neither did the Iranians,” he said.

The prime minister said some Arab states now want closer ties with Israel after the conflict, despite concerns in the Gulf over Israeli strategic dominance.

“I now see the possibility of the expansion and the deepening of the agreements we do have to alliances with Arab states of the kind that we never even dreamed of,” he said.

He said some Arab countries had told Israel, “Let’s strengthen our alliance with Israel,” adding that cooperation was developing in energy, artificial intelligence and quantum technology.

Netanyahu also said China had provided Iran with some military-related support.

“China gave a certain amount of support and particular components of missile manufacturing,” he said. Asked whether that disturbed him, Netanyahu replied, “Well, I didn’t like it.”

On US military aid, Netanyahu said Israel should begin reducing its reliance on American financial support.

“I want to draw down to zero the American financial support, the financial component of the military cooperation that we have,” he said, referring to the $3.8 billion Israel receives annually. “I think that it’s time that we weaned ourselves from the remaining military support.”

He said the process should begin immediately and take place over the next decade.

Netanyahu also addressed declining support for Israel in the United States, attributing much of the change to social media and foreign manipulation.

He acknowledged that civilians have died in Israeli military operations, but said those deaths were not deliberate.

“Look, it’s war. And in war, armies sometimes miss and civilians die. And these are mistakes, these are not deliberate things that happen,” he said.

On Gaza, Netanyahu said Hamas must still be disarmed and the enclave demilitarized and deradicalized.

“Somebody has to disarm them. Somebody has to then demilitarize Gaza,” he said. “If it comes down to us, then we’ll have to do it, but we’ll choose the time and the circumstances in which to do it.”

Netanyahu said Israel would not allow Hamas to threaten the country again.

“Could be done the hard way, could be done the easy way. I always prefer the easy way,” he said.

Benjamin NetanyahuIranIran war