Netanyahu calls for ground operation to achieve regime change in Iran
Benjamin Netanyahu stated that "Iran is being decimated" (Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
"Iran is being decimated," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed, as joint U.S. and Israeli operations continue to target the country's ballistic missile sites and nuclear infrastructure, CNBC reported on March 19.
However, a ground component is necessary to achieve regime change in Iran, he added.
“You don’t want to replace one ayatollah with another,” Netanyahu said at a press conference. “You don’t want to replace Hitler with Hitler.”
The Prime Minister’s remarks follow his March 19 announcement that Iran has lost the ability to enrich uranium or manufacture ballistic missiles due to the ongoing strikes.
On March 11, U.S. President Donald Trump said the war with Iran would end soon because, in his words, “there are practically no targets left to hit.”
However, Israeli ministers and security officials believe the collapse of Iran’s regime could take up to a year, even if the U.S. and Israeli campaign ends sooner.
Speaking at a rally, Trump said the United States had “won” the war with Iran.
At the same time, he indicated the United States was still pursuing the objectives of its military operation.
“We don’t want to go back every two years. We’re going to finish the job,” Trump said on March 11.
Despite reports from The Wall Street Journal on March 13 that advisors have urged an end to the special operation, Trump has signaled his intent to continue strikes against Iran and its proxies.
Trump characterized a U.S. strike on military facilities at Iran’s Kharg Island as "one of the most powerful in the history of the Middle East," asserting that Iran is "completely defeated."
The Guardian interpreted his remarks as a signal that the fighting is unlikely to end soon.
In an interview with NBC News published on March 15, Trump said he was not ready to reach a deal to end the war with Iran because “the terms are not good enough yet.”
On March 16, speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump stopped short of declaring final victory despite earlier claims of a "crushing defeat" of Iran’s military and economy.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson said on March 19 that the American mission in Iran is "virtually accomplished" and could conclude "very soon."
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