Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed support Sunday for protesters in Iran, saying Israel stands with what he called the “brave and courageous citizens” challenging the country’s rulers, as unrest there continues and tensions rise over possible U.S. military action.
Speaking at the weekly Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Israel hopes the Iranian people will soon be freed from what he described as tyranny. “When the regime falls, we will do good things together for both peoples,” he said. “We all hope that the Persian nation will soon be released from the burden of oppression. When that day comes, Israel and Iran will once again be faithful partners in building a future of prosperity and peace.”
In a recorded interview broadcast Friday, Netanyahu said the wave of protests sweeping Iran could mark a turning point. “This may be the moment when the Iranian people take responsibility for their fate,” he said, adding that revolutions are best achieved from within. He stopped short of explicitly endorsing U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to act against Iran if protesters are killed, but warned that any Iranian attack on Israel would have “terrible consequences.”
Protests have continued across Iran for a second whole week, even as the country’s leadership seeks to project control. Iran’s national police chief, Ahmadreza Radan, said Sunday that authorities had intensified their response to demonstrators calling for the overthrow of the regime, announcing what he described as “significant arrests” of key figures involved in the unrest. He said those detained would be prosecuted once legal proceedings are completed.
The comments came amid reports of a sharp rise in casualties. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists in Iran organization, known as HRANA, said at least 192 people have been killed and about 2,600 arrested, citing sources inside the country.
Earlier Sunday, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, warned that Israel and the U.S. military would be “legitimate targets” if Washington strikes Iran, as Trump has threatened in recent days over the crackdown on protesters. Qalibaf made the remarks during a special parliamentary session on the protests, during which lawmakers chanted, “Death to America.”