Israeli President Isaac Herzog declared on Wednesday that Israel does not seek regime change in Iran but aims to dismantle its nuclear capabilities. During a conversation with Finance Newso’s Dan Murphy, Herzog clarified that “regime change is not an official objective of ours,” emphasizing that Israel’s focus is to “remove the Iranian nuclear program.”
Herzog has accused Tehran of deception and accelerating its nuclear ambitions, suggesting that a “change in [regime]” might also be a pathway to regional peace. This statement follows a June 9 announcement from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which urged Iran to fully cooperate with the agency to ensure that its nuclear activities are entirely peaceful.
On June 13, Israel executed a series of airstrikes in Iran, targeting sites it claimed were associated with the nation’s nuclear initiatives. The conflict has escalated, with both Israel and Iran exchanging military strikes.
“One has to be tough sometimes in order to remove imminent threats. That’s exactly what we’re doing,” Herzog stated, noting the airstrikes have significantly impacted Iran’s nuclear advancements.
In a contrasting viewpoint, U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly claimed on Wednesday that Iran is “very close” to developing a nuclear bomb, which conflicts with the assessment provided by National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard earlier this year. Gabbard testified to Congress in March that the intelligence community believes Iran is not currently building a nuclear weapon and that Supreme Leader Khamenei has not revived the weapons program he suspended in 2003.
This week, the Group of Seven nations expressed their backing for Israel while condemning Iran, describing it as “the principal source of regional instability and terror,” and reaffirming that “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”
This position stands in stark contrast to that of China. Following the Israeli airstrikes, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi asserted that Beijing “explicitly condemns Israel’s violation of Iran’s sovereignty” and voiced support for Iran in “safeguarding its national sovereignty and defending its legitimate rights and interests.”
When asked about the potential for diplomatic channels to de-escalate the current tensions, Herzog affirmed that “there is actually a lot of back channel. National talks and dialogue with world leaders is actually quite intensive.”
