Netanyahu Says Overthrowing Iran's Government Remains Israel's "Primary Objective"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that overthrowing Iran's government remains Israel's "primary objective." Al Jazeera He made the remarks as his support in opinion polls has declined, with Israeli national elections due next week.

Netanyahu spoke on Tuesday at Tel Hai University. According to a report from Iran International, he said, "We must complete the elimination of the Iranian regime — that is the primary objective." He also argued that any agreement or accommodation that left Iran's government in power would leave it determined to pursue a nuclear bomb, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The remarks followed conversations with US President Donald Trump on Sunday and a visit to Israel by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth. Netanyahu did not indicate that Washington had agreed to join another offensive against Iran. The United States took part in a war against Iran in June 2025 and again in a campaign that began on February 28, 2026.

Separately, the Times of Israel and El País have reported that the United States and Israel have drafted plans for renewed strikes on Iran, to take place after the US midterm elections. The Financial Times reported that Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military in early October to plan a bombing campaign against Iran. Netanyahu called reports that he was keen to launch strikes "incorrect."

Netanyahu has acknowledged the limits of air attacks before. In March, he said, "You can't do it only from the air," adding, "There has to be a ground component, as well."

Caglar Kurc, an assistant professor at Abdullah Gul University, told Al Jazeera that airpower can degrade a country's military capabilities but cannot fully destroy its offensive capabilities, and that well-hidden systems would survive. Urban Coningham, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told Al Jazeera that Israel could again establish air superiority, meaning control of the skies, and strike Iranian targets.

Analysts told Al Jazeera that Israel has the firepower to inflict serious damage on Iran. They said, however, that it lacks a clear strategy for turning military gains into the overthrow of Iran's government.