Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he expects the war against Iran to continue until there is regime change in Iran or it is weakened to the point that Tehran must bend to US and Israeli demands.
On Sunday, Netanyahu was asked by Maria Bartiromo when the conflict in the Middle East will end. “I think when this regime is either toppled or it’s sufficiently weakened that it knows it has to end its nuclear program and has to change its course.”
After the start of the war, Netanyahu and President Donald Trump listed regime change in Tehran along with other ambitious goals, including eliminating Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.
During the opening strikes of the conflict, the US and Israel assassinated the Iranian supreme leader and several other top officials. However, rather than causing the government to fall, the strikes created a “rally around the flag effect,” and the intelligence community believes the current administration in Tehran retains a strong hold on power.
Additionally, Iran has secured strategic victories, such as establishing control over the Strait of Hormuz, that have weakened Trump’s position for negotiations.
On Sunday, The New York Times reported President Trump decided against further escalating the conflict after military officials warned that the Department of War lacked the interceptors to defend US troops in the region.
