Netanyahu Says He Discussed ‘Eliminating’ the Iranian Government With Trump

by Dave DeCamp | October 20, 2026

https://news.antiwar.com/2026/10/20/netanyahu-says-he-discussed-eliminating-the-iranian-government-with-trump/

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel was “committed” to “eliminating” the Iranian government and that he spoke about the idea in his recent conversation with President Trump.

According to The Times of Israel, Netanyahu made the comments at the Tel Hai University in Kiryat Shmona near Israel’s border with Lebanon. “I am committed to finishing the job,” he said, referring to Israel’s war in Lebanon.

“Finishing the job means bringing down the terrorist regime in Iran. It is the head of this poisonous octopus. You cut it off, and it will fall. We will also have peace with Lebanon,” he said. “We must complete the elimination of the Iranian regime — that is the primary objective. I have spoken about this with President Trump more than once, including the day before yesterday.”

A day earlier, Netanyahu released part of a phone call he had with President Trump on Sunday, where he thanked the US leader for endorsing him in the upcoming Israeli elections. In Trump’s endorsement message, he suggested that the US may have to “finish the job” against Iran without the help of Israel if Netanyahu doesn’t remain prime minister.

In his conversation with Trump, Netanyahu said that the US and Israel have a “job to finish,” and his comments on Tuesday suggest that means regime change.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday and met with Netanyahu. The US and Israel have been coordinating closely in the lead-up to the Israeli elections and the US midterm elections, and according to recent reporting from Axios, they have been discussing the possibility of resuming the full-scale bombing campaign against Iran.