Netanyahu Reiterates Regime Change in Iran as Israel Heads to the Polls

Synopsis

On a visit to Israel for a ceremony to honour officers graduating from the Israel Defence Forces, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military, Mossad and the security establishment to work on bringing down Iran's government, which is the only way to stop the Iranian nuclear threat. The comments followed days before Israel holds elections Oct. 27 and days when there is a renewed threat of strikes. Washington has emphasized the need to stop an Iranian nuclear arms build-up, not to promote regime change, and analysts doubt Israel can stop it without the help of others.

A rule that was issued days prior to the ballot

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday ordered Israel Defence Forces, the Mossad and the general defence establishment to topple the regime in Iran. At the graduation ceremony for new officers, he said that, as long as Iran's current leadership continues, Israel is in existential danger. He told the cadets that it was “now also your mission”. Benjamin Netanyahu urged the military and intelligence to topple the Iranian regime over nuclear weapons.

He had stated at the beginning of the school year at Tel Hai University in Kiryat Shmona, near the Lebanese border, that the “primary objective” is the elimination of the Iranian regime and that Hezbollah will collapse if Tehran's government collapses.

The electoral backdrop

The Israelis will vote a week before the US mid-term elections on November 3 on October 27. Foes have called for more action against Tehran and blamed the Prime Minister for not doing enough to eradicate the Iranian threat. Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, at the same ceremony said, “Iran will burn” if it strikes Israel.

Where Washington stands

The United States has not said it would seek regime change, but has instead focused on preventing Iran from acquiring the bomb. Mr. Netanyahu did not give any hint that Washington would agree to launch a new attack, and experts say it would require a multi-year ground campaign with the power to penetrate deeply into the facilities, something that air strikes can't accomplish. Details of an operational plan have not been released by Israeli officials.

Reaction from Tehran and the region

Ali Abdollahi, head of the general staff of Iran's armed forces, declared Iran is keen to drag the U.S. and Israel into a bog. Iranian media state, which is state-funded, also has asserted that if high-ranking officials were to be assassinated again, attacks could occur simultaneously from all 31 provinces, thus the “dead hand” doctrine.

This war has just reached its eighth month, and there is only a week's time between the vote in Israel and the American midterm elections. There's no word yet on what either government will do next.