Netanyahu Says Iran's Government Must Be Overthrown as Tehran Prepares for Renewed Strikes

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that his directive to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is to "overthrow the regime in Iran," according to an Antiwar.com report republished by ZeroHedge. The Washington Post reported that the statement followed weeks of U.S. military preparations for possible further strikes on Iran after the midterm elections.

The timing is being set in Washington. Netanyahu ordered the military to prepare a renewed attack in early October, but Trump opposed restarting the war before the midterms, according to the Financial Times as cited by Haaretz and Israel Hayom. Persian-language coverage by Euronews Persian reported that the two leaders had discussed a major new operation before the Israeli and American elections. Trump told reporters that the war with Iran is "going to be done very soon," TASS reported, but he did not say whether he meant a negotiated deal or further strikes.

The Israeli business paper Globes reported in Hebrew that Israel's security establishment is warning against statements "that would lead to a misreading of reality." It also reported that officials in Tehran assess that "a confrontation is certain and may break out even before the polls open," and that Trump has threatened to "keep hitting them." The same report described the conflict spreading to other fronts, with a series of Houthi missile and drone interceptions.

Iranian state media is publishing signs of fiscal strain at home. IRNA reported in Persian that the economy and finance directorate of Lorestan province has identified 177 state-owned properties for the government's asset-monetization program, "with the aim of making effective use of idle assets." The program raises revenue by selling or leasing state holdings, which a government does when it is short of income.