Netanyahu Says Regime Change In Iran Not Israel’s Goal But ‘Could Be A Result’

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Last Updated:June 19, 2025, 22:26 IST

Israel-Iran Conflict: Benjamin Netanyahu emphasised that regime change is a matter for the Iranian people, not an agenda Israel is actively pursuing.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu | File Image/Reuters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that while the fall of Iran’s regime is not an official Israeli objective, it could ultimately be a consequence of the ongoing conflict. Speaking to Israeli public broadcaster Kan, Benjamin Netanyahu emphasised that regime change is a matter for the Iranian people, not an agenda Israel is actively pursuing.

“The matter of changing the regime or the fall of this regime is first and foremost a matter for the Iranian people. There is no substitute for this," Benjamin Netanyahu said.

He added, “That’s why I didn’t present it as a goal. It could be a result, but it’s not a stated or formal goal that we have." His comments come amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran, following a series of missile exchanges and Israeli strikes on Iranian military infrastructure.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also said that regime change in Iran is not currently an official objective of the Israeli government, clarifying that the security cabinet has not adopted such a policy “for the time being."

Israeli Defence Minister Said Khamenei ‘Can No Longer Be Allowed To Exist’

Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Foreign Minister’s comments stand in sharp contrast to the rhetoric from Defense Minister Israel Katz, who just hours earlier declared that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “can no longer be allowed to exist"- directly accusing Ayatollah Khamenei of orchestrating the missile strike that hit a hospital near Tel Aviv, injuring dozens, and said Israel would do “everything they can to eliminate the Iranian leader."

He called the attack a war crime and announced that both he and Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the IDF to intensify strikes against “strategic targets in Iran and government targets in Tehran" in a bid to “undermine the Ayatollah’s regime."

What Khamenei Said On Conflict With Israel

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed reports of a possible US military strike on Tehran, framing it as a sign of Israel’s desperation rather than American strength. In a pointed remark aimed at both Washington and Tel Aviv, Ayatollah Khamenei said the United States stepping in only shows Israel’s strategic failure.

“The very fact that the Zionist regime’s American friends have entered the scene and are saying such things is a sign of that regime’s weakness and inability," Ayatollah Khamenei said.