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by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Tuesday that the targeted killing of senior Iranian official Ali Larijani could create a strategic opening for the Iranian people to overthrow the Islamic regime.

Israeli PM Netanyahu says Larijani killing gives Iranians a chance to overthrow rulers

“We have eliminated Ali Larijani and the Basij commander. We are weakening this regime in the hope of giving the Iranian people a chance to overthrow it.” pic.twitter.com/Cv8DVHrbC3

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Speaking after Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the strike, Netanyahu described Larijani as a central power broker within Iran’s ruling system.

“Larijani is the boss of the Revolutionary Guards, which is the gang of gangsters that effectively runs Iran,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel also eliminated Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani during the same operation.

Larijani, who served as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, played a key role in shaping Tehran’s military and nuclear policy. Israeli officials described him as a “high-value fugitive,” constantly moving between safe houses to evade detection before intelligence enabled a precise strike.

Strategic Pressure on Tehran

Netanyahu framed the operation as part of a broader effort to weaken Iran’s internal control mechanisms and embolden its population.

“Jerusalem is undermining this regime in the hope of giving the people of Iran an opportunity to remove it,” he said. “This will not happen all at once… but if we persist, we will give them an opportunity to take their fate into their own hands.”

Israeli security officials say the campaign is focused heavily on degrading the Basij militia—long used by the regime to suppress dissent—through targeted strikes on leadership, infrastructure, and logistical networks.

According to officials, Iran’s internal security apparatus has suffered significant setbacks in recent weeks, including damage to its intelligence ministry and weakening of its street-level enforcement capabilities.

Expanding U.S.-Israel Military Coordination

The developments come amid deepening coordination between Israel and the United States under the joint campaign known as “Operation Roaring Lion” and Operation Epic Fury.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said “significant achievements” were recorded overnight, emphasizing growing operational alignment with U.S. Central Command.

“We will continue to act decisively to remove threats to the residents of Israel,” Zamir stated.

U.S. forces have conducted more than 6,000 combat flights since the campaign began, according to CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper, underscoring the scale of the military effort.

Netanyahu praised the partnership, calling it a historic moment of alliance between Israel and the United States.

“We are now a powerful state, almost a global power, fighting shoulder to shoulder with our ally, the global superpower,” he said.

Regime Stability in Question

Senior Israeli and U.S. officials increasingly view the potential collapse of Iran’s regime as a “real possibility,” particularly following the elimination of key leadership figures.

While debate continues over whether mass protests could re-emerge inside Iran, Israeli officials dismissed claims that such uprisings would be immediately crushed, arguing instead that the regime’s enforcement capacity has been significantly weakened.

“The damage is not absolute,” one official noted, “but it is real—and it is growing.”

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