Jerusalem, Oct 2026 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday reiterated Israel’s commitment to overthrowing Iran’s government, saying he had discussed the objective with US President Donald Trump during their recent conversations.
“We must complete the overthrow of the Iranian regime. That is the main thing. I have discussed this with President Trump more than once, including two days ago,” Netanyahu said during public remarks at a university in northern Israel.
According to Xinhua News Agency, Netanyahu also claimed that the removal of Iran’s government would pave the way for the “elimination of Hezbollah” and peace with Lebanon.
His remarks come amid heightened political activity ahead of Israel’s national elections scheduled for October 27. Trump endorsed Netanyahu for re-election on Sunday, with the Israeli leader highlighting his close relationship with the US president as a central theme of his election campaign.
Netanyahu has presented his partnership with Trump as crucial to confronting Iran and addressing regional security challenges. His latest comments further underline his administration’s stated objective of bringing about a fundamental change in Iran’s political leadership.
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly made an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday and met Netanyahu, Israeli media reported on Tuesday.
Channel 12 News cited sources familiar with the matter, while Israeli Army Radio reported that the meeting took place at a military base in southern Israel.
Netanyahu’s office did not immediately comment on the reports. The Pentagon had not announced Hegseth’s visit, and his office initially declined to comment.
Following the reports, Hegseth confirmed on social media platform X that he had visited US troops serving under the US Central Command (CENTCOM). He also shared photographs from the visit.
“As always, it was an honour to visit our warfighters in CENTCOM today. The best of our country, on a historic mission. Godspeed,” he wrote.
Last week, Netanyahu said he did not support launching a pre-emptive strike against Iran before Israel’s October 27 legislative election. His statement came in response to accusations from political rivals that he was seeking a military confrontation for electoral advantage.
Netanyahu has repeatedly called for the overthrow of Iran’s government. During the 12-day war in 2025, he addressed the Iranian people, declaring that their “hour of freedom is near”. He renewed his call for political change when Israel and the United States launched another offensive in February.
The latest remarks signal that confronting Iran remains a central element of Netanyahu’s political and security agenda as Israel approaches its election. However, the extent of any agreed US-Israeli strategy regarding a change of government in Tehran was not detailed in the reported remarks.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
