Shafaq News- Middle East

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington and Tel Aviv would stand with the Iranian people after the fall of Iran’s leadership, while signaling further military escalation against Tehran.

Speaking at the site of an Iranian missile impact in Beit Shemesh near Jerusalem, which killed at least nine, Netanyahu thanked Trump for joining effort against Iran “to save the world,” adding that “the day the Iranian people rid themselves of the regime is approaching, and the United States and Israel will stand by the Iranian people after the regime falls.”

He warned that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a threat beyond the region. “If the Iranian regime obtains nuclear weapons, it will threaten all of humanity.”

Netanyahu also said he had instructed the military to continue and intensify operations.

In Washington, Trump said major US strikes on Iran were still ahead. In remarks to CNN, he said, “We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon.”

Trump said the United States did not want a prolonged operation, noting that it had expected the campaign to last about four weeks but that it was advancing faster than anticipated.

He added that the situation inside Iran was “not safe” and urged civilians to remain in their homes.

Trump said he did not know who was currently leading Iran or who might emerge next, adding that Iran had lost 49 senior figures in the initial strikes, which he described as a significant blow.