Israeli president has no interest in Iran’s future beyond weakening and destabilising a regional rival
Middle East crisis – live updates
On Sunday, in an interview with Fox News, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, pontificated on a theme he has become increasingly attached to in recent years: that Israel under his leadership would not simply attempt to dismantle Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes through military attack, but in the process usher in regime change in Tehran.
The government in Tehran, he said, was “very weak”, adding that given the opportunity, “80% of the people would throw these theological thugs out”.
The list of targets in Iran hit in the last two days appear to confirm that Israel may be pursuing a broader agenda than simply destroying Tehran’s nuclear programme – striking police headquarters, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence directorate, and the state television broadcaster while it was live on air.
