Key Highlights
- Netanyahu admitted uncertainty about Iranian regime change but vowed continued action against nuclear programs.
- Prime Minister criticized Israel’s corruption trial and called for the cancellation of President Herzog’s trial.
- Netanyahu warned Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah or face Israeli intervention.
- Discussion on potential regional alliances against Iran amid ongoing conflict.
The Uncertain Path Forward in Tehran
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s first press conference since the US-Israeli campaign in Iran was a mix of confidence and uncertainty. He admitted that while Israel would create conditions for regime change, he could not guarantee it would happen.
“You can lead someone to water; you cannot make him drink,” Netanyahu told reporters, reflecting on his belief that the Iranian people must ultimately decide their fate.
The War and Its Aftermath
In a direct address to the Iranian public, Netanyahu said, “We are delivering crushing blows to the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij, their street forces, their checkpoints – and more is yet to come.” The PM’s rhetoric was punctuated by a stark reality: Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, had been killed in the opening salvo of the US-Israeli campaign.
Netanyahu dismissed Mojtaba Khamenei as a “puppet” of the Revolutionary Guard Corps who “cannot show his face in public.” The younger Khamenei is thought to have been wounded in an airstrike, but has not been seen or heard since being named supreme leader on Sunday.
Lebanon and Hezbollah
The Lebanese government’s role was a central theme. Netanyahu urged them to “take your fate into your own hands” and disarm Hezbollah, warning that Israel would intervene if Lebanon failed to comply. The conflict with Hezbollah had reignited, leading to massive airstrikes and the displacement of hundreds of thousands in Beirut’s south.
Regional Alliances and Future Prospects
Netanyahu’s team was reportedly weaving additional alliances in the region, noting that countries previously unimaginable as allies were now uniting against Iran. “We are crushing the terror regime in Iran,” he declared, emphasizing Israel’s continued operations against Hezbollah.
The Domestic Political Turmoil
Domestic politics loomed large. Netanyahu faced a corruption trial and accused President Isaac Herzog of conducting a political witch hunt. He reiterated his stance that Trump had the right to criticize Herzog but denied having asked him to do so. “President Trump has the right to say what’s in his heart,” he stated.
Netanyahu also defended his coalition government, suggesting it would serve out its full term or nearly so, with elections expected in September or October.
The prime minister seemed resolute in his determination despite the ongoing domestic and international pressures.
In a final observation, Netanyahu warned that “it would be beyond madness” for the Supreme Court to plunge Israel into a constitutional crisis during its campaign for existence and future. He called on Herzog to end the corruption trial, asserting it was “an absurd circus.”
