Netanyahu: Regime change in Iran 'could be the result of war'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that regime change in Iran "could be the result of war because it is a weak regime."

Netanyahu's remarks came in an interview with Fox News, from an undisclosed location in Israel.

Netanyahu added, "Our attack on Iran will end when we eliminate its nuclear capabilities, and we will do that."

He suggested that Tehran was completely surprised by the Israeli attack, and surprise is a major factor in success.

He explained that Israel is prepared to do whatever is necessary to eliminate "two existential threats" in Iran, referring to its nuclear program and ballistic missiles.

He also stressed that Israel "will not witness a second nuclear holocaust. We witnessed one in the last century," and that we must "act now" regarding Iran.

He claimed that "Israeli intelligence indicated that Iran wanted to transfer nuclear weapons to the Houthi group," as he put it.

Asked about the goal of the ongoing Israeli strikes on Iran, and whether regime change was among them, Netanyahu said that regime change in Iran "may be an inevitable consequence of war because it is a weak regime."

The Israeli Prime Minister also claimed that "the Isfahan reactor was destroyed, and without it, Iran cannot develop a nuclear weapon," he said.

He pointed out that "American pilots are shooting down Iranian drones heading towards Israel."

He pointed out that "US President Donald Trump poses a major threat to Iran's plans to arm itself with and use nuclear weapons."

At dawn on Friday, Israel, with tacit US support, launched a massive attack on Iran with dozens of fighter jets, codenamed "Rising Lion." The attack targeted nuclear facilities and missile bases in various areas, and assassinated prominent military leaders and nuclear scientists.

That evening, Iran began responding to the attack with a series of ballistic missile and drone strikes, launched in eight waves. As of Sunday, these strikes had left 14 dead and approximately 345 injured, as well as significant material damage to buildings and vehicles.