Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to admit neither Israel nor the U.S. foresaw the effective use Iran would make of its control of the Hormuz Strait before the recent war began.
“I don’t claim perfect foresight, and nobody had perfect foresight. Neither did the Iranians,” Netanyahu said.
He was is also asked about a report that he had told a situation room on February 11 that a joint Israeli-American operation could collapse the Islamic Republic.
The PM calls that “false” but goes on to note that he merely didn’t note that outcome as definitive.
“We both agreed that there was uncertainty and risk involved,” Netanyahu said, quoting U.S. President Donald Trump as having said that there is danger in action but bigger danger in not acting.
Asked if it is possible to topple the Iranian regime, he said:
"I think that you can’t predict when that happens. Is it possible? Yes. Is it guaranteed? No. But I can tell you it’s like bankruptcy, you know? It… proceeds gradually and then it falls," Netanyahu said.
The PM said he doesn’t know when or if the Iranian regime will fall, but says that if that happens, it would mean the end of its network of proxies, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis, since it is the “scaffolding” keeping them afloat.
