Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is committed to "completing the elimination of the Iranian regime," adding that he had discussed the matter with President Trump. He also said the elimination of Hezbollah and peace with Lebanon will follow. Netanyahu made the remarks on October 20, 2026, while visiting Kiryat Shmona-Tel Hai University in northern Israel for the opening of the academic year. The setting matters, because the north has been at the center of Israel's operations against Iranian proxies and a security zone established in southern Lebanon.

The statement follows earlier Israeli and American actions against Iran in 2025 and 2026 that weakened the regime but did not topple it. It also comes one week before Israel's October 27 parliamentary elections, in which security policy is expected to be a central issue. As reported, the remarks did not explain how or when the regime would be eliminated, or what Washington's role would be beyond the conversation Netanyahu mentioned. They also link Iran, Hezbollah, and any future peace with Lebanon into a single goal, and whether that sequence holds is still an open question.