Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated at a press conference on 19/3 that the joint air campaign with the US against Iran is progressing effectively, destroying Tehran's ballistic missile and nuclear programs. However, he admitted this is insufficient to change the country's regime.
"We do not want to replace one Ayatollah with another," he stated. "But an uprising cannot just fall from the sky. We can achieve much from the air, but there must also be a ground element."
He did not specify what the "ground element" entails, but urged the Iranian people to seize the opportunity to revolt. "We can create the conditions, but at some point, the Iranian people must actively capitalize on those conditions."
When launching the offensive against Iran, US and Israeli leaders openly called on the country's people to rise up and overthrow the regime. However, as the conflict approaches its fourth week, there are no signs of a large-scale uprising within Iran.
"There are many different opportunities when it comes to the ground element. I prefer not to share these opportunities publicly," Netanyahu stated.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference in Jerusalem on 19/3. Photo: AFP
Netanyahu's statement came hours after US President Donald Trump declared at the White House that he would not deploy ground troops to the Middle East, yet he did not completely rule out that option.
Israel continues its large-scale air campaign targeting Iranian military and energy infrastructure. Recent Israeli attacks on the South Pars gas field, one of Iran's critical energy facilities, severely escalated regional tensions, drawing retaliatory strikes from Iran against Qatar's Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas facility.
The ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran is profoundly impacting the region and globally. Attacks and retaliatory actions have disrupted energy supplies, driving oil prices sharply higher and causing international markets to fluctuate.
Meanwhile, the US shows signs of greater caution regarding the conflict's progression. President Donald Trump has requested Israel limit attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure to avoid exacerbating the global energy crisis.
Thanh Danh (Based on CNBC, Times, Reuters)
