Netanyahu from Southern Syria: Very close to toppling the Iranian regime
Occupied Jerusalem – Agencies: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed his threats against Iran, asserting that the overthrow of the Islamic Republic and its regional allies is “very close,” as Israel emphasized that it does not intend to withdraw from the security zone where its forces are stationed inside Syrian territory. Netanyahu’s remarks came during a visit to the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, accompanied by Defense Minister Israel Katz and several senior military officials, amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington six months after the outbreak of the war.
Netanyahu stated that the “main task” remaining is to topple what he described as Iran’s “terror regime,” adding, “We are very close to that, and we know that the entire axis will ultimately collapse.” He also affirmed that Israel would not allow any “terror army” to position itself along its borders. The Israeli prime minister claimed that his country now exerts extensive control over the area stretching from the peaks of Mount Hermon to the Yarmouk River, and from there to the Mediterranean Sea, describing this as one of Israel’s most significant achievements during the war.
During the tour, Katz sent a direct message to Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, confirming that Israeli forces would remain in their positions within the security zone. He said, “We are sending a very strong and clear message from here to the president of Syria, sitting just 35 kilometers away in his palace in Damascus: We are here on Mount Hermon, we are in the security zone, and we will not move from here.”
Katz had visited Israeli troops deployed in southern Syria about two weeks earlier, a move that drew condemnation from Damascus, which described it as a “blatant violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Meanwhile, a United Nations report issued on Tuesday characterized some Israeli military operations in Syria as potentially amounting to war crimes.
