Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told senior army commanders that Israel is preparing for a confrontation with Iran and will continue efforts to dismantle Hamas, according to Channel 14 on Sunday evening.
During a meeting with top Israeli military officials, Netanyahu said Iran would emerge from the current campaign weaker than ever, while Israel would be significantly stronger.
He addressed claims about the possible rapid collapse of the Iranian regime, saying there are no guarantees it would fall at the start of any conflict. However, he stressed that heavy economic pressure is creating conditions that could lead to such an outcome.
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Netanyahu said Iran’s leadership is deeply concerned that economic collapse could directly threaten the regime’s stability, pointing to protests that followed previous operations.
On Iran’s nuclear programme, he added that US President Donald Trump believes with “great confidence” that intense economic pressure could make it possible to extract enriched materials buried deep underground in Iran.
On Gaza, Netanyahu told senior officers that Israel will not retreat from its main objective of dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities. He said Israeli forces currently control security zones covering more than 50 per cent of the Gaza Strip, allowing operational access to any area and enabling the dismantling of what he described as “terrorist infrastructure”.
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