Reuters: The Iranian Government is Netanyahu's Next Target

Reuters has reported that in the upcoming calendar year, the Iranian government and the destruction of Iran's nuclear program will be the focal point for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel. The report recalls Netanyahu's decades-long opposition to the Islamic Republic's nuclear ambitions, stating that following Israel's deadly strikes against Hezbollah and Hamas and their military structures, as well as the fall of Assad's regime, Israel is now in a stronger position to confront the Iranian government directly. Joost Hiltermann, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the International Crisis Group, noted the vulnerability of the Islamic Republic to potential Israeli attacks, especially against its nuclear program, stating that an Israeli attack would not surprise him. The analytical report from Reuters cites some Middle East observers who say that in the coming year, the Iranian government will face a fateful crossroads: to continue uranium enrichment or to reduce its nuclear activities to avoid a direct confrontation with Israel. Ghassan al-Khatib, a Palestinian analyst, stated that if the Islamic Republic does not back down from its nuclear program, Donald Trump, the next U.S. President, and Benjamin Netanyahu may attack this government. During his first term, Donald Trump imposed extensive sanctions on the Iranian government and particularly its oil industry by withdrawing from the JCPOA and adopting a 'maximum pressure' policy, and many speculate that he will pursue the same policy towards the Islamic Republic during his second term. The Reuters report comes as Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Sunday, December 15, that he had a phone conversation with Donald Trump, the U.S. President-elect, discussing Israel's determination to continue confronting the Islamic Republic and its proxy groups. Netanyahu described his conversation with Trump about the necessity of a 'complete victory' for Israel as 'very friendly, very warm, and very important.' Meanwhile, Donald Trump's transition team told the Persian section of Voice of America on Friday, December 13, that all options for addressing the Iranian government's nuclear program are on the table. Netanyahu stated that the Houthis are the last arm of the Islamic Republic's axis of evil, and Israel claims that the Iranian government supports and directs the terrorist activities of the Houthis. Netanyahu also mentioned that he discussed the necessity of 'victory' over the Islamic Republic with Trump, and the Trump transition team reiterated that all options regarding Iran are on the table. Netanyahu addressed the Iranian people, stating that the Islamic Republic has stolen their money and wasted it.