Tel Aviv/Tehran, June 17 (UNI) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called Israel’s ongoing war with Iran a campaign to rid the country of its "evil rulers", stating that the regime’s days were numbered, and “a light” to “freedom” has been lit.

"A light has been lit — carry it to freedom,” Netanyahu told Iran International.

Netanyahu said Israel's military campaign against Iran is giving its people a chance to topple the Islamic Republic, adding that the ruling system's days were numbered.

“This is the time,” he said. “Your hour of freedom is near — it’s happening now.”

Calling the regime an enduring threat against Israel with its nuclear weapons ambitions and ballistic missile programmes, he said that the “tyrants of Iran” would stop at nothing short of the complete destruction of the Jewish state.

Stating that Iran’s project for Israel’s destruction was to be carried out in two stages, he said “One is to rush forward with their nuclear programme to develop atomic bombs to destroy Israel.

"Second, they've programmed to build a vast missile, ballistic missile arsenal … Each missile carrying a one-ton payload, just slamming into our cities, killing our women, our children.”

“They were going to build 20,000 of these,” he added.

Netanyahu called Israel’s ongoing campaign as both a defensive war and an opportunity for the leadership in Tehran to be overthrown.

“This is evil against good, and it's time for good people to stand up with the good, the good people of Iran, and good people everywhere against this madness foisted on all of us by this radical tyranny. It's about to end.”

He went to add that while Tehran feared Israel, its biggest fear was its own people, due to the regime’s massive unpopularity in the country.

“These dictators in Iran, sure they fear us — but they fear you, the people of Iran, even more,” he said. “They understand that 80 per cent of Iranians despise them."

Netanyahu said Israel’s precision targeting had already knocked out key parts of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and missile production capabilities.

“(We) knocked out their chief nuclear team, their nuclear sites… we're knocking out their ballistic missile production,” he said. “We still have a way to go, but we’ll finish it.”
Netanyahu said Iran could be made "great again" and that Iran's people were its future.

“I believe in you. I respect you. I admire you. I know your achievements. I know your potential. I know that Iran can be great again. It was a great civilisation, and this theological thuggery that has kidnapped your country, will not stand for long, and you are the future, not them.”



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