Chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Yuli Edelstein (Likud), said in an interview with Kan Reshet Bet radio on Monday that Israel’s recent strike on Iran would likely not have taken place had the preliminary vote to dissolve the Knesset passed.
“In such a situation, we would not have received the support of the United States,” Edelstein explained. He added that when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brought the operation to the Cabinet for approval, he was not certain he had the backing of US President Donald Trump.
Asked whether the Iranian nuclear threat had been eliminated, Edelstein replied, “It’s not yet possible to say definitively that the nuclear threat has been removed, but the success of the operation is certainly phenomenal. I believe we’ve set the Iranian program back by many years—especially with the American strike two days ago. The Iranians are now significantly behind, but there are still more targets and more work ahead.”
On whether the operation includes a plan to topple the Iranian regime, he responded, “Toppling the regime is not our goal—but no one will cry if it happens.”
Regarding the operation’s endgame, Edelstein clarified, “Our starting point is the continued dismantling of their nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities. After that, the goal is to reach an agreement—no uranium enrichment on Iranian soil and limitations on their conventional weapons. We’re not stopping tomorrow; there are still targets. We know how many missiles they have, and their arsenal remains.”
Asked about a possible Iranian response to the US strike, Edelstein said, “Khamenei has yet to decide whether to pursue a strong response against the United States or to move toward negotiations. What’s certain is they won’t come out waving a white flag.”
He concluded, “We need to remember—they don’t want to be dragged into a prolonged war. They have a lot to lose.”