Bennett Says Iran Regime Change Clock Will Start After Israeli Government Changes

Former prime minister and Yesh Atid? no, Together Party leader Naftali Bennett held a press conference on Monday evening, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a framework agreement with Iran ahead of a formal signing ceremony scheduled for Friday in Switzerland.

Bennett said Benjamin Netanyahu’s tenure was ending in “a historic failure” against Iran and declared, “The countdown to replacing the regime in Iran will begin when the government changes.” He praised Israeli soldiers and security forces for what he called extraordinary courage and ingenuity during the “1,000-day war,” but said the leadership had failed the country.

He said the Netanyahu government had begun with “civil war,” continued through the October 7 massacre, and was now ending in failure on the Iran front. Bennett told Israelis that he understood their frustration, fears and pain, but urged them to “raise your heads” and said, “We can restore security to Israel.”

Asked what he would have done differently, Bennett answered: “Everything.” He said he would have used Israel’s diplomatic capital with “the most friendly president we have had in history” solely for Israel’s interests, returned to a doctrine of fast, decisive wars, rebuilt the national public diplomacy headquarters he said he established as prime minister, imposed universal military service, stopped funding draft evasion, and restored tens of thousands of needed soldiers to the IDF.

Bennett also said he would revive the “octopus doctrine” against the Iranian axis, blocking Iran’s nuclear ambitions while accelerating the collapse of its regime through diplomatic, economic, technological and military means. He added that once Israel’s leadership changes, “the countdown to replacing the regime in Iran will begin,” and predicted that Israelis will soon choose a “new, energetic and determined leadership” that will restore security.