Jerusalem

Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said the future of Iran’s current political leadership ultimately depends on the Iranian people, asserting that any change in the regime would come from their willingness to challenge what he described as oppressive rule.

Speaking during a visit to the National Health Emergency Operations Centre, the Israel Prime Minister said Israel hopes that the Iranian people will free themselves from what he termed a system of tyranny.

“Our aspiration is to enable the Iranian people to cast off the yoke of tyranny; ultimately, it is up to them. But there is no doubt that through the actions taken so far, we are breaking their bones and we are still active,” Netanyahu said.

“If we succeed together with the Iranian people, we will bring about a permanent end to the extent that such things exist in the lives of nations. We will bring about change, and we are already bringing about a massive shift in Israel’s international standing,” he added.

During the visit, Netanyahu, accompanied by Health Minister Haim Katz, was briefed at the National Health Command Center as part of Operation Roaring Lion.

The briefing was conducted by Moshe Bar Siman Tov, Director-General of the Israeli Ministry of Health, who outlined the healthcare system’s functioning during the ongoing campaign.

Meanwhile, Iran issued a defiant response to claims by Donald Trump regarding the conclusion of hostilities, asserting that it would be the sole authority to determine the end of military actions against American and Israeli targets.

In a strongly worded statement, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) rejected Washington’s timeline for the conflict, saying the future of the region would be shaped by Tehran’s military strategy rather than US intervention.

“It is we who will determine the end of the war,” the IRGC said, adding that “the equations and future status of the region are now in the hands of our armed forces; American forces will not end the war.”

READ MORE: Sofia Firdaus: an accidental politician who is here to stay

The IRGC spokesperson also accused the US president of using “cunning and deceit” to influence public opinion following what Tehran described as “shameful defeats.”