In a direct message to the people of Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged them to resist their regime’s oppressive rule and expressed hope for a future where Iran and Israel could be at peace. The statement, delivered on Monday, marked a shift from Netanyahu’s usual focus on Iranian leadership to a more personal appeal to Iranian citizens.

“I speak a lot about the leaders of Iran. Yet at this pivotal moment, I want to address you – the people of Iran. I want to do so directly, without filters, without middlemen,” Netanyahu said at the start of his statement, addressing what he described as the regime’s deepening involvement in regional conflicts.

“Every day, you see a regime that subjugates you, makes fiery speeches about defending Lebanon, defending Gaza. Yet every day, that regime plunges our region deeper into darkness and deeper into war,” he said, referencing Iran’s military support of Hezbollah and Hamas.

“If it cared about you, it would stop wasting billions of dollars on futile wars across the Middle East. It would start improving your lives,” Netanyahu said, encouraging Iranians to imagine a future where the country’s wealth is invested in education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

Netanyahu also warned that Iran’s regime was leading the country towards greater peril, highlighting Israel’s reach across the region in confronting Iranian proxies. “Ask Mohammed Deif. Ask Nasrallah. There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach. There is nowhere we will not go to protect our people and protect our country,” he declared.

The prime minister expressed optimism about a future in which Iran and Israel could coexist peacefully, asserting that the current Iranian regime would not last. “When Iran is finally free—and that moment will come a lot sooner than people think—everything will be different. Our two countries, Israel and Iran, will be at peace,” he said, envisioning a future marked by “global investment, massive tourism, and brilliant technological innovation.”

Netanyahu ended his message with a direct call to the Iranian people to resist the control of “a small group of fanatic theocrats” and pursue a brighter future. “You deserve better. Your children deserve better. The entire world deserves better,” he said. “The people of Iran should know – Israel stands with you.”

“May we together know a future of prosperity and peace.”

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