- Yair Lapid says regime change in Iran must come from Iranians themselves
- US-Israel operation aims to destroy Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities, he says
- Iran's attacks on Gulf neighbors created an anti-Iran coalition in the region, he adds
A regime change from outside is either rare or impossible, Israel's opposition leader Yair Lapid has said, stressing that it is ultimately up to the Iranians to decide their future. His remark comes amid the ongoing military operation by the US and Israel against Iran, during which Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was eliminated.
Lapid also listed three goals of the ongoing operation, which include obliterating Iran's nuclear facilities to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons, and demolishing its ballistic missile program.
The third goal is to enable the people of Iran to take their fate into their own hands and topple this "horrible regime" and substitute it with something more tolerable, he added.
Read: What Was The Urgency To Eliminate Khamenei? Israeli Minister Replies
"We're doing well on the first two, and I don't know about the third," he said during an interview with NDTV.
Asked how long the operation could continue, he said he feels the four-week timeframe given by US President Donald Trump is a reasonable estimation.
'A Mistake By Iran'
Lapid also called it a mistake that Iran chose to attack its neighbouring countries in the Gulf region.
"What was unexpected is the fact that Iran has miscalculated terribly by attacking the countries around them. They attacked Saudi Arabia, the Emiratis, Bahrain, and Kuwait. This is a mistake," the Israeli opposition leader stated.
By doing so, Tehran thought those countries would create pressure on the US to stop the operation, Lapid said.
Read: Will Iran Get To Pick Its Leader After Khamenei? What Israeli Minister Gideon Sa'ar Said
"Instead, they have themselves created an anti-Iranian coalition in the region, in which the Saudis, the Emiratis, and others say, 'okay, we're going to respond. We are proud countries and nobody's going to shoot at our people without us responding,'" he added.
'Improve Conditions Of Iranians'
Lapid said that the US and Israel can only improve the conditions of the Iranian people and that they must themselves decide their future.
"We can create or enable some of the conditions. But it's up to the people of Iran to make up their minds about what it is that they want in the country. Iran is an ancient culture. I agree that a regime change coming from the outside with airstrikes is rare or impossible," added the senior Israeli politician.
Read: "Dangerous Iran Wasting Time Over US Nuclear Deadlines": Israel Minister To NDTV
India-Israel Ties
Lapid stressed the need to boost the "great friendship" between India and Israel. The partnership Israel has with India is unparalleled because we have the same values, he said. In contrast, he stated, any partnership with Iran will end bitterly and is "not a good idea." "This is something I assume the people of India understand," he added.
He also appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent Israel visit and said, "We all knew we were going to war. We all understand he took a risk. We understand he came here to show sympathy, and it was heartwarming and blessed. We are all thankful."
