Israel’s prime minister, in a conversation with Mark Levin, a Fox News commentator, said: “The people of Iran are great people. They have an immense historical and cultural legacy and are home to one of the greatest civilizations in history, but in practice they have been taken and held hostage by this religious government [the Islamic Republic] and these ideological thugs.”

Netanyahu called the “ayatollahs ruling over Iran” “an evil and extremely fanatical power” and Hamas, Hezbollah, and Yemen’s Houthis “the arms of this poisonous octopus.”

Netanyahu expressed hope that, during the continuation of Donald Trump’s presidency, steps would be taken to remove the threat of the Islamic Republic and that the people of Iran would be able to take charge of their own future.

Referring to the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and missile programs and its threats against Israel, Europe, and the United States, Netanyahu emphasized: “The only way to deal with this situation is, essentially, to get rid of this regime, and this is a long process that has both military and economic dimensions.”