Netanyahu Says Israel 'Crushing' Iran, Hezbollah, Calls Mojtaba Khamenei 'Puppet Of IRGC'

Last Updated:March 13, 2026, 01:46 IST

Netanyahu denounced Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, as a “puppet of the Revolutionary Guards” who cannot appear in public.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said Israel was “crushing" Iran and Hezbollah, while denouncing Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, as a “puppet of the Revolutionary Guards" who cannot appear in public.

“We are crushing Iran and Hezbollah," Netanyahu said in his first media briefing since the beginning of the war. “We are delivering crushing blows to the Revolutionary Guards, their bases, their street forces, their checkpoints – and more is yet to come."

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He also asserted that Iran was “no longer the same" after nearly two weeks of joint US-Israeli attacks and had suffered blows to its elite forces. The Israeli PM said he spoke with US President Donald Trump nearly every day and that the two men spoke “openly."

Netanyahu also reiterated his claim that Iran’s military ambitions necessitated a swift campaign, saying the objective was to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He also said Israeli attacks have killed top Iranian nuclear scientists.

Netanyahu Outlines Regime Change In Iran

Netanyahu further said the war on Iran was also aimed at enabling Iranians to overthrow the country’s clerical rule. “I have added a third objective, which is to create, for the Iranian people, the conditions to bring down this regime," he said in the briefing.

“I say to the Iranian people: The moment when you will be able to embark on a new path of freedom is approaching. That moment is drawing closer. We stand with you. We are helping you. But in the end — it depends on you. It is in your hands," he added.

However, he said there was no guarantee that the Iranian people would rise up against the regime, saying, “You can lead someone to water, you cannot make him drink." He said Israel would continue will create “optimal conditions" to give them space to rise against the Islamic Republic.

ALSO READ: Is Iran’s Regime Collapsing? Intel Shows US Far From Achieving Its Objectives After Two Weeks

Speaking on Iran’s plans for the new Supreme Leader, Netanyahu said, “I wouldn’t take out a life insurance policy on any of the leaders of the terror organisations."

He also hailed his relationship with Trump and said Israel is also working to forge new regional partnerships during the war. “We are not thinking only about our countries, or only about this generation. We are thinking about future generations – about the future of humanity."

His remarks came as Iran threatened to step up its attacks, saying it would keep up a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz that has sent oil prices soaring. Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first statement on the war on Thursday, saying Iran should close the Strait of Hormuz and keep attacking its Gulf Arab neighbors as leverage.

Trump has faced intense political pressure as the global economic fallout of the crisis has mounted, as oil prices soared back to above $100 per barrel. The International Energy Agency warned the Middle East war could lead to “the largest supply disruption" in oil industry history.

News world Netanyahu Says Israel 'Crushing' Iran, Hezbollah, Calls Mojtaba Khamenei 'Puppet Of IRGC'

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