- Israeli Foreign Minister said US and Israel will not decide Iran's next leader
- He stated it is for the Iranian people to choose their next leader
- Free elections in Iran are impossible while the current regime remains strong, he added
Neither the US nor Israel will decide who will lead Iran after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's assassination, an Israeli minister has told NDTV, stressing that it's for the Iranian people to choose their next leader. But a free and fair election in Iran is not possible as long as the current regime remains powerful, said Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar.
His remark came in response to a question about whether the US and Israel were going to leave Iran in complete chaos after Khamenei's killing or if a civilian leader would take over.
Read: What Was The Urgency To Eliminate Khamenei? Israeli Minister Replies
"Not Israel, not the US will decide who will lead the Iranian people. I think it is for the Iranian people to choose within a fair, free election process. But the fair and free election process will not happen when this regime is still powerful," said Sa'ar.
"We need to weaken them to an extent that a transition is possible. And this is what we aim to do," the Israeli minister added.
The US and Israel had been trying for regime change in Iran amid concerns that stem from Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
Sa'ar branded Iran's nuclear and missile programs as an "existential threat" for Israelis, justifying the action that played out Saturday morning.
Any delay in the action would have allowed Tehran to move its nuclear and ballistic missile programs into deep underground installations, preventing any effective strikes by the US or Israel in the future, he claimed.
That would have given Iran immunity to do whatever it wanted, he argued.
"Therefore, since we thought time was of essence...we took into consideration the expectations of the Iranian people that fought bravely for the freedom but reasonably cannot achieve it without any help from outside. So, this is why we decided with our American friends that we must act," he said.
Read: Why India Has Not Condemned Khamenei's Death
Sa'ar said it would have been "more dangerous" to wait and not act in this situation.
The US and Israel commence Op Epic Fury on Saturday morning with aerial strikes over Iran, including on a secure compound in Tehran where Khamenei was present. Iran retaliated with all its might, as missiles crisscrossed over the Gulf skyline, resulting in explosions in Arab cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Manama. The operation has entered Day 3 and is ongoing.
