Toppling Iranian leadership 'could be outcome' of ongoing conflict: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled on Monday that Israel will not halt its offensive against Iran, not even for negotiations, saying that toppling Iran's leadership "could certainly be the outcome" of the ongoing aerial warfare.

Netanyahu made the remarks during a press conference, as Iran called on US President Donald Trump to push for a ceasefire in the aerial conflict that began with Israel's surprise attack on Friday.

"If President Trump is genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential," Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote on the social media platform X.

"Israel must halt its aggression... It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu. That may pave the way for a return to diplomacy," Araghchi wrote.

In response, Netanyahu said Israel has no intention of stopping the campaign, declaring that the country is on the "path to victory."

Asked whether Israel would agree to stop the war, Netanyahu replied, "We gave it a chance — 60 days while they held talks with the Americans."

He said Israel would not end its attacks before achieving three objectives: eliminating Iran's nuclear program, its ballistic missile arsenal, and what he described as "the terror axis" formed by Iran and its regional allies.

Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes across Iran since Friday, damaging military targets and residential areas. At least 244 people have been killed and 1,277 injured, over 90 percent of them civilians, according to Iran's Health Ministry.

Netanyahu said Israel inflicted "very heavy damage" on Iran's main nuclear facility in Natanz, a claim that has not been verified by Iranian sources. Additional strikes targeted centrifuge and uranium enrichment facilities, as well as missile stockpiles and launchers. He claimed Iran had "thousands" of explosive drones and that half were destroyed in the strikes.