Netanyahu: Iran is a ‘cancer’ which threatens the US and Europe

Prime Minister Netanyahu calls for an end to the Iranian regime, warns that the US and Europe will face renewed threat unless action taken.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that removing Iran’s ruling regime is necessary to permanently eliminate the threat posed by Tehran, warning that the Islamic Republic could rebuild its military capabilities and resume its efforts to develop nuclear weapons unless its leadership is overthrown.

In separate interviews over the weekend, Netanyahu argued that Israel and the United States had severely weakened Iran but had not yet eliminated the danger, leaving open the possibility of renewed military action against the Islamic Republic.

“We did 90 percent of the work,” Netanyahu told i24News, comparing the Iranian regime to cancer and warning: “If you don’t get rid of this regime in Iran, it will come back.”

Netanyahu’s comments followed months of military confrontation between Iran and the US-Israeli alliance, including extensive strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, missile infrastructure and military installations.

Speaking with Fox News‘ Mark Levin, the prime minister warned that Tehran’s ambitions extend far beyond the destruction of Israel, accusing the regime of seeking regional domination and ultimately threatening Europe and the United States.

“You’re the great Satan. We’re the little Satan. I say to my European friends, I hope you’re not offended. You’re a middle-sized Satan.”

He argued that Iran’s development of intercontinental ballistic missiles could eventually allow the regime to threaten American cities with nuclear weapons, fundamentally altering the balance of power between Tehran and Washington.

“And they want them to have nuclear warheads. And then every single city in the United States, every single city, will be held hostage to the blackmail of these fanatics. So the only way you can deal with it is to basically to get rid of this regime.”

Netanyahu said Iran’s ideological leadership made it particularly dangerous, arguing that its rulers could not be relied upon to exercise the same strategic restraint as other nuclear powers.

He also dismissed the prospects of reaching a lasting diplomatic agreement with Tehran, accusing the regime of repeatedly violating its commitments and deceiving Western governments.

“So you can’t win them over. You can’t buy them out. You can’t, you know, and no deal holds more than two seconds, because they do one thing consistently and reliably. They lie.”

According to Netanyahu, the Iranian threat cannot be permanently resolved through military strikes against individual facilities or economic pressure alone.

“The only way you can deal with it is to basically to get rid of this regime,” he said.

The prime minister praised US President Donald Trump’s approach toward Iran, describing the American leader as exceptionally capable and crediting him with recognizing the danger Tehran poses to US national security.

Netanyahu also emphasized that Israel’s confrontation was with Iran’s ruling establishment rather than the Iranian population, expressing admiration for the country’s people and its history.

“Because Hamas, the three H’s as I call them, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis in Yemen, they’re basically arms of this toxic octopus, you know, and it’s the Ayatollahs in Iran. It’s not the Iranian people. The Iranian people are great people.”

His remarks came just days after he said that Israel was not seeking a preemptive military confrontation with Iran ahead of the October 27 Knesset election, while warning that any Iranian attack would provoke a severe Israeli response.

Netanyahu also accused Iran and its regional terrorist proxies, including Hezbollah and Hamas, of seeking to influence the Israeli election by provoking security incidents intended to undermine public confidence in his government’s military achievements.

He said Israel had detected indications of possible attempts to interfere in the vote, although he did not publicly disclose the intelligence supporting that assessment.

The prime minister maintained that the election would proceed as scheduled and warned that Israel’s enemies were united in their desire to see him defeated.