Netanyahu to Mossad: Overthrow Iran's Regime

Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer talking about containing Iran—he's talking about taking down the regime. At a military graduation ceremony Wednesday night, the Israeli prime minister said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is continuing his late father's quest for nuclear weapons, reports the Washington Post. "And therefore, there is only one way to remove this threat once and for all: overthrow the regime in Iran," Netanyahu said. "And that is my directive to the IDF, the Mossad, and the security branches." He warned that as long as Tehran's rulers remain, Israel faces an "existential threat." Netanyahu also noted President Trump's threat over the weekend that the US would "finish the job" against Iran "unless they change."

Netanyahu's comments come after reports emerged that the US and Israel were drawing up plans for a large-scale attack on Iran after the midterms. His remarks also land just days before a tight Israeli election widely seen as a judgment on the prime minister's handling of the Hamas-led attack in 2023 and the subsequent campaign in Gaza. Palestinians don't have a vote, but one interviewed by the New York Times echoed Netanyahu's use of the word "existential." In this case, the man said a Netanyahu victory would be catastrophic for Palestinians.