Netanyahu Calls for U.s.-israel Push to Oust Iran’s Rulers
WHO:
Al Jazeera - Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, said overthrowing Iran’s government remained Israel’s “primary objective.”
Al Jazeera - Netanyahu spoke after conversations with United States President Donald Trump and a visit to Israel by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.
Al Jazeera - Urban Coningham, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), said Israel could establish air superiority and strike Iranian targets.
Al Jazeera - Caglar Kurc, an assistant professor at Abdullah Gul University in Kayseri, Turkiye, said regime change would require troops on the ground for years.
Al Jazeera - Sidharth Kaushal, a senior research fellow at RUSI, said Iran likely retained sizeable missile stocks.
The Washington Post - Netanyahu said the Iranian regime must be overthrown “once and for all.”
The Washington Post - Netanyahu said Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei “decided to follow in his father’s footsteps” and attempt “once again to develop the bombs of death.”
WHAT:
Al Jazeera - Netanyahu said he had described Iran’s leaders as a major threat since his first term as prime minister.
Al Jazeera - Netanyahu said in an address to the U.S. Congress in July 1996, “The most dangerous of these regimes is Iran, that has wed a cruel despotism to a fanatic militancy.”
Al Jazeera - Netanyahu gave no indication that Washington had agreed to join an offensive against Iran or a campaign to remove its leadership.
Al Jazeera - Analysts said Israel could damage Iran militarily but lacked a clear strategy for turning military gains into regime change; they said air strikes alone were unlikely to achieve that goal.
Al Jazeera - Netanyahu acknowledged the limits of airpower, saying, “You can’t do it only from the air,” and added, “There has to be a ground component, as well.”
Al Jazeera - Kurc said airpower could degrade Iran’s military capabilities but not fully destroy its offensive capabilities; “Well-hidden systems would survive.”
Al Jazeera - Coningham said Israel’s intelligence assets were “use and burn”; covert operations and cyberattacks offered no clear route to regime change.
Al Jazeera - Coningham said Kurdish and Baloch armed groups were unlikely to provide the ground force needed to challenge Iran; Kurdish groups lacked the military capability to confront the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Al Jazeera - The article said the Trump administration was reported to have discussed arming Kurdish opposition groups, but the proposal did not progress.
Al Jazeera - Kaushal said Iran likely retained sizeable missile stocks and antiship missiles; damage to targeting systems could constrain their effectiveness.
Al Jazeera - Coningham said Israel’s interceptor stocks had been drawn down by previous exchanges, and intercepting inexpensive Iranian drones with costly defensive weapons could further strain supplies.
Al Jazeera - Analysts considered U.S. participation in another attack unlikely. The Financial Times reported that an Israeli proposal for renewed strikes had not secured Trump’s approval.
Al Jazeera - Coningham said Israel would lack U.S. capabilities for striking deeply buried facilities without U.S. support, including 30,000-pound GBU-57 bunker-busting bombs used by U.S. B-2 bombers.
The Washington Post - Netanyahu made his remarks at an Israel Defense Forces officer graduation ceremony.
WHERE:
Al Jazeera - The proposed conflict concerned Iran and Israel; Iran’s Gulf neighbours host U.S. military assets.
Al Jazeera - U.S. B-2 bombers struck Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear facilities.
The Washington Post - Netanyahu spoke at an Israel Defense Forces ceremony.
WHY:
Al Jazeera - Netanyahu was facing declining poll support ahead of Israel’s national elections next week.
Al Jazeera - Analysts said Iran could make a renewed offensive costly without matching Israel aircraft-for-aircraft, in part because Iran could mass-produce inexpensive weapons for longer than Israel could sustain costly interceptions.
Al Jazeera - Analysts said a ground invasion would require a much greater military commitment; Kurc said regime change would require deploying troops and remaining in Iran for years.
Al Jazeera - Analysts cited uncertainty about U.S. support and Trump’s pressure to avoid renewed escalation ahead of U.S. midterm elections.
HOW:
Al Jazeera - Sidharth Kaushal said Iran had brought production of older Chinese antiship missiles in-house and that its southern mountains provided natural shelters from air attacks.
Al Jazeera - Urban Coningham said Iran might focus retaliation on Israeli territory while avoiding U.S. targets and disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, seeking to punish Israel without drawing Washington directly into the fighting.
Al Jazeera - Israel could use offensive weapons, aerial refuelling, intelligence assets and cyberattacks; analysts said Iran could retaliate with missiles and antiship missiles.
(UPDATED October 23, 2026 02:17 UTC)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says overthrowing Iran’s government remains Israel’s primary objective, calling for the regime to be removed “once and for all.” Speaking at an Israeli military officers’ graduation ceremony, he said Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was pursuing nuclear weapons. Netanyahu spoke after talks with President Trump and a visit from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but gave no sign Washington had approved renewed strikes. Analysts say Israel could establish air superiority and damage Iranian forces, but air attacks alone are unlikely to topple the government. Netanyahu acknowledged a ground component would be needed, while experts say regime change could require troops in Iran for years. Iran is also believed to retain substantial missile stocks, and hidden systems could survive airstrikes. Israel’s limited interceptor supplies could face further strain, while U.S. support remains uncertain.
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(UPDATED October 22, 2026 23:11 UTC)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says overthrowing Iran’s government remains Israel’s primary objective, but he has offered no sign that President Trump has agreed to join an offensive. Speaking at an Israeli military ceremony, Netanyahu said Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was pursuing nuclear weapons and that airpower alone could not bring regime change. Analysts say Israeli strikes could weaken Iran’s military, but hidden systems and missile stockpiles would likely survive. They also say Israel lacks a clear path from military gains to removing Iran’s leadership. A ground campaign, they warn, would require troops in Iran for years, while Kurdish and Baloch groups are unlikely to provide the needed force. Israel’s defenses could also be strained by Iranian missiles and drones. Without U.S. support, Israel would lack capabilities to strike deeply buried sites, including the facilities previously hit by U.S. bombers.