Netanyahu says he instructed Israeli defense apparatus to work to "overthrow the regime in Iran"

Before Israel’s October 27 election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told graduating military officers that he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces, Mossad and the wider defense apparatus to work toward replacing Iran’s government, according to The Jerusalem Post. He also asserted that Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, was seeking nuclear arms; the article notes that U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed there was no evidence Tehran had chosen to develop such weapons before the June 2025 war or during the current conflict. Netanyahu cited President Trump’s support for finishing the campaign against Iran. Separately, the Financial Times reported that Netanyahu wanted to renew strikes this month, with the IDF ready around October 10, but Trump declined before the November 3 U.S. midterms.