Netanyahu vows to bring down Iran's regime and continue operations against Hamas and Hezbollah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel would seek to defeat and bring down Iran's government, while continuing its campaign against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah.

Netanyahu made the remarks during a ceremony at the President's Residence in Jerusalem honouring outstanding employees of the Israel Security Agency, or Shin Bet. He praised the agency's work alongside the military and other security bodies.

“We will eliminate Hamas, and first and foremost we will defeat the regime in Iran. We will bring it down. It will fall. We will also deal with Hezbollah, and it too will fall,” Netanyahu said, according to remarks published after the ceremony.

Netanyahu said Iran and groups allied with it still sought Israel's destruction, but argued that their ability to act on that objective had been substantially weakened.

“We have done most of the work, but there is still work left to complete – and we will complete it,” he said.

His comments follow a series of statements in recent weeks in which Netanyahu has said Israel's military campaign had created conditions for a possible change in Iran. On September 9, he said the Iranian government was “very close” to falling and described bringing it down as the main task.

In Gaza, Netanyahu said Israeli forces were continuing to pursue Hamas and those responsible for the October 7, 2023 attack. He said the Shin Bet's operations were part of an effort to track down people Israel holds responsible for the attack.

“When we tell the terrorists, ‘No one is immune. We will reach all of you,’ you are actually putting that into practice,” he told Shin Bet personnel.

Netanyahu also referred to security operations in the West Bank, saying Israeli security agencies had prevented about 1,000 attacks during the past year. The figure was presented by Netanyahu in his remarks at the ceremony and was not independently detailed.

He praised Shin Bet Director David Zini, saying Zini leads a “robust, strong and committed” organisation and describing its work as successful. Zini was appointed to head the agency in 2025 and has been involved in Israeli security operations concerning Gaza, the West Bank and Iran.

The remarks come as Netanyahu continues to frame Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah as interconnected security challenges for Israel. His stated objective of changing Iran's political leadership remains a declared Israeli aim rather than an established outcome.