JERUSALEM—In a direct and impassioned address to the Iranian people, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Iranians not to lose hope, calling on them to envision a future of freedom and prosperity in place of the hardships imposed by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime. This message, delivered Tuesday, resonated globally after similar sentiments shared weeks earlier reached millions inside Iran.
Netanyahu outlined the financial cost of recent missile attacks against Israel, stating that Khamenei’s regime has spent $2.3 billion on military aggression—money that, he argued, could have been used to improve Iranian infrastructure, education, and healthcare. “The missiles did marginal damage to Israel, but what damage did they do to you?” Netanyahu asked, emphasizing that the regime’s military campaigns undermine Iranians’ quality of life.
“Imagine how your children’s lives would look if billions of dollars were invested in them,” he continued, painting a picture of a prosperous Iran with advanced roads, hospitals, and education systems—achievements he said Israel would support if Iran were free.
Netanyahu assured the Iranian people that Israel and the free world stand with them. In his message, he invoked the powerful chant, “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi” (“Women, Life, Freedom”), used by Iranians protesting for change, and encouraged them to keep hope alive despite the regime’s oppressive tactics.
Highlighting that Israel does not seek conflict, Netanyahu pointed to the ruling authorities in Tehran as the sole force driving war. He expressed his belief in a future where a free Iran and Israel work together for mutual prosperity and peace. “That is the future Israel deserves. That is the future Iran deserves,” he declared, concluding with a vision of Iranians and Israelis joining hands in a peaceful partnership.–News Desk