JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel was “changing the face of the Middle East” with its military campaign against Iran which could lead to “radical changes” in the country.
“We are changing the face of the Middle East and that can lead to radical changes inside Iran itself,” he told a press conference in which he outlined Israel’s strikes against Iranian nuclear and military targets.
After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel on Friday launched a surprise aerial campaign against targets across Iran.
Iran has launched several waves of missiles in retaliation at Israel, sparking fears of a wider regional conflict.
“We have eliminated Iran’s security leadership, including three chiefs of staff, the commander of their air force, two intelligence chiefs,” Netanyahu added.
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“We are eliminating them, one after the other.”
He said that Israel was “pursuing three main objectives: the elimination of the nuclear programme, the elimination of ballistic missile production capability, and the elimination of the axis of terrorism”, referring to groups in the Middle East.
“We will do what is necessary to achieve these goals, and we are well coordinated with the United States,” he said.
Netanyahu asserted that Iranians perception of their government had changed.
“They understand that the regime is much weaker than they thought – they realise it, and that could lead to results,” he said.
Israel’s strikes have so far killed at least 224 people, including top military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians, according to Iranian authorities.
The Israeli prime minister’s office says 24 people have been killed in Iranian attacks since Friday.
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