Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told London-based Iran International that Israel's ongoing military operations against Iran provide an unprecedented opportunity for the Iranian people to overthrow their oppressive regime, in a rare interview with Iranian dissident media on Monday.
Netanyahu expressed confidence that the Islamic Republic's days are numbered, encouraging Iranians to seize this moment for freedom. "A light has been lit, carry it to freedom," Netanyahu told Iran International's Pouria Zeraati. "This is the time, your hour of freedom is near, it’s happening now," he declared.
Netanyahu framed the Israeli military campaign as both a defensive war and a critical moment for Iranians to rise up against the regime that has long posed a threat to Israel and the region. He described the Islamic Republic as a regime built on the threat of nuclear and ballistic missile weapons aimed at Israel.
“The tyrants of Tehran basically planned two weapons of mass death to exterminate Israel,” Netanyahu said. “One is to rush forward with their nuclear program to develop atomic bombs to destroy Israel, second, they’ve programmed to build a vast missile arsenal, each missile carrying a one-ton payload, just slamming into our cities, killing our women, our children. They were going to build 20,000 of these.”
He emphasized that Israel's airstrikes, which have targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and missile production sites, are part of a broader effort to weaken the regime’s military capabilities. "We still have a way to go, but we’ll finish it," Netanyahu said, referring to Israel's strategy of precision strikes against Iranian facilities.
Israel making efforts to minimize civilian casualties in Iran
According to human rights group HRANA, Israel’s attacks since Friday have killed 322 people and injured 684 in Iran. Netanyahu insisted, however, that Israel's military conduct differentiates it from the Iranian regime, which has long been accused of targeting civilians. He highlighted Israel's effort to minimize civilian casualties by issuing pre-emptive warnings to evacuate areas near potential military targets.
"You can see that by the warnings we are sending, the forewarnings that we're sending to the people of Tehran and elsewhere," Netanyahu said. "It is necessary in order to have the people leave the zone of conflict, that’s the whole difference between a terrorist regime that deliberately targets civilians in a democracy like Israel."
Defense Minister Israel Katz also emphasized that Israel's strikes are aimed at military sites, with the aim of protecting innocent civilians. Earlier on Monday, Katz noted that Tehran residents must evacuate areas near government and military sites that could be targeted.
Netanyahu: Cyrus freed the Jews, now it's your turn to be free
Netanyahu also took aim at the Iranian leadership, arguing that the regime has inflicted severe suffering on its people, highlighting the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman whose death in morality police custody sparked nationwide protests in 2022.
“They’ve impoverished you, they’ve given you misery, they’ve given you death, they’ve given you terror, they shoot down your women, leaving this brave, unbelievable woman, Mahsa Amini, to bleed on the sidewalk for not covering her hair,” Netanyahu said, decrying the Islamic Republic’s human rights abuses.
The Israeli prime minister expressed hope that Iran could be restored to its former glory once the regime is toppled. “I believe in you, I respect you, I admire you, I know your achievements, I know your potential, I know that Iran can be great again,” he said, drawing a sharp contrast between the country’s historical achievements and the current leadership. “It was a great civilization, and this theological thuggery that has kidnapped your country will not stand for long, and you are the future, not them."