Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said after an overnight security meeting chaired by Prime Minister Netanyahu that Israel's long-term objective is the collapse of the Iranian government, and warned Iran would 'regret it' if it attacked Israel. The meeting, which lasted over five and a half hours, ended around 1:30 a.m.
New details from the overnight security meeting chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerged Tuesday morning, ending the five-and-a-half-hour session around 1:30 a.m. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, speaking after the meeting, warned that Iran would 'regret it' if it attacked Israel and reiterated that Israel's long-term objective is the collapse of the Iranian government through sustained economic pressure. The warning adds a new layer to Smotrich's earlier statements from the same day.
Earlier Tuesday, at 10:34 a.m. Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported Smotrich's remarks from a cabinet meeting, where he said Israel's central goal is toppling the Iranian regime via economic collapse and that Israel has no interest in joining the U.S.-led campaign. A second report at the same time quoted him saying Israel is prepared for any scenario if Iran fires. The initial reports cited N13 and Abu Ali Express; the overnight meeting details came from journalist Amichai Stein (i24NEWS), corroborating the duration and Smotrich's subsequent comments.
The overnight session is the latest in a series of high-level security consultations Netanyahu has convened amid escalating tensions with Iran. As The Zioneer has reported, Netanyahu held a security cabinet meeting on June 16 focused on preserving Israeli operational freedom, and multiple other limited security discussions have occurred in recent weeks against the backdrop of U.S.-Iran tensions and a potential naval blockade.
No official statement has been issued by the Prime Minister's Office or the Finance Ministry confirming the meeting's details or Smotrich's remarks. It remains unclear whether the session was a routine security assessment or a special emergency meeting.
4 developments
- StrongNetanyahu held overnight security consultation; Smotrich: Israel has no interest in US-Iran conflict
- DevelopingSmotrich says there is a crisis with Trump, challenge is managing it without harming Israeli security
- ConfirmedSmotrich: Israel will not withdraw from Lebanon, deepening rift with US over Iran deal
- DevelopingSmotrich calls for massive Lebanon response instead of tit-for-tat with Iran
Source and signal
- Internal intake