Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted at a “ground component” to change Iran’s regime, adding to speculation over whether troops will be sent into the conflict. “You don’t want to replace one ayatollah with another,” Netanyahu said on Thursday, adding that you cannot “do revolutions from the air.”
Netanyahu said that the Israeli and American attacks meant Tehran could no longer enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles. The Israeli premier also pledged to hold off attacks on Iranian gas fields at the request of President Donald Trump.
But Iran is continuing its strikes on energy sites across the region, hitting a Saudi refinery on the Red Sea, setting ablaze Qatari liquefied natural gas facilities and two Kuwaiti oil refineries, and damaging an oil refinery in Israel. These strikes were in retaliation for an Israeli attack on Iran’s South Pars gas field, which have sent fuel prices soaring.
What To Know On Day 21
- Netanyahu also denied that he had “dragged” Trump into the war. “Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do,” he said, adding: “I misled no one.”
- The U.S. Central Command said it had destroyed Iran’s Karaj surface-to-air missile plant, which it said “threatened Americans, neighboring countries, and commercial shipping.”
- Drone and missile attacks have been reported overnight in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck sites in Syria in response to attacks against the Druze population, an ethnoreligious minority group.
- More than 1,300 people in Iran have been killed during the conflict, according to Iranian officials. Israeli strikes have also displaced more than one million Lebanese, and killed more than 1,000, according to Lebanon’s government.
- In Israel, 15 people have been killed, while at least 13 U.S. military members have also died.
Follow Newsweek for the latest news on the Iran war.
In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it’s not “both sides,” it’s sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.
When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.
Read the full article here
