PM Netanyahu Says Substitution Of Regime In Iran Could Be The Result Of Israeli Attacks

JAKARTA - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday the regime change in Iran could have been the result of an Israeli military offensive, saying they would do whatever was necessary to eliminate the "existent threat" posed by Tehran.

Israel launched a "Raising" with a surprise strike on Friday morning targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities, saying the campaign would continue to escalate in the coming days.

In response, Iran has vowed to "open the gates of hell" in retaliation for Iran's attacks.

The Israeli military said the current campaign's goal was not to change regimes, but to destroy Iran's ballistic and nuclear missile programs.

When asked by Fox News' Bret Baier in his "Special Report" program whether the regime change was part of Israel's military efforts, Netanyahu said: "It could be a result because the Iranian regime is very weak," quoted by Reuters on June 16.

"We are ready to do whatever is necessary to achieve our dual goal, to get rid of two existential threats, nuclear threats and the threat of ballistic missiles," PM Netanyahu said in one of his first interviews since the Israeli attack began.

"We did act, to save ourselves, but also, in my opinion, not only to protect ourselves, but also to protect the world from this incendiary regime. We cannot allow the world's most dangerous regime to have the most dangerous weapons in the world," said PM Netanyahu.

Israel says its operations could last for weeks. PM Netanyahu publicly urged the Iranian people to rise up against their Islamic clerical leaders.

Israel and Iran launched new attacks on each other on Sunday night, killing many people and raising concerns about a wider conflict, as US President Donald Trump said it could end easily.

When asked about a Reuters report, President Trump vetoed Israel's plans to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Netanyahu said: "I'm not going to talk about it."

However, he said he had notified President Trump before Friday's military action. American pilots shot down an Iranian drone bound for Israel, he said.

With growing concerns over regional conflicts, President Trump praised the Israeli attack while denying Iran Washington's accusations of taking part in it.

He warned Tehran not to expand its retaliation by incorporating US targets or facing the "full force and force" of the US armed forces.

President Trump himself has repeatedly said Iran could end the war by agreeing to strict restrictions on its nuclear program, which Iran says aims to be peaceful but Western countries say it can be used to make bombs.

It is known that the final round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States, which was originally scheduled to be held on Sunday, was canceled after Tehran said it would not negotiate when it was attacked by Israel.