By Muhammad Mamman
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that any potential change in Iran’s political leadership ultimately depends on the Iranian people themselves, even as tensions between Israel and Iran continue to escalate.
Speaking during a visit to Israel’s National Health Emergency Operations Centre, Netanyahu said Israel’s broader ambition is to see Iranians free themselves from what he described as “tyranny”, stressing that external pressure alone cannot determine the country’s political future. 
“Our aspiration is to bring the Iranian people to throw off the yoke of tyranny,” Netanyahu said. “Ultimately, it depends on them.” 
The Israeli leader added that Israel’s military and political actions are aimed at weakening the Iranian leadership and creating conditions that could enable change within the country. According to him, Israel’s operations have already dealt significant blows to the ruling establishment in Tehran. 
His remarks come amid heightened hostilities between Israel and Iran, with ongoing military strikes and growing regional tensions across the Middle East. Reports indicate that the confrontation has drawn in broader geopolitical actors, including the United States, further raising concerns about a wider regional conflict. 
Netanyahu has repeatedly addressed the Iranian public directly in recent days, urging them to seize what he described as a “historic opportunity” to determine their political future and remove the current leadership. 
Iranian authorities, however, have rejected such statements, condemning Israeli and allied military actions and insisting that the country’s sovereignty and political system will be determined internally without foreign pressure.
The remarks highlight the deepening confrontation between the long-time regional rivals, as analysts warn that continued escalation could further destabilise an already volatile Middle East.
