Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, told Newsmax on Tuesday that the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran are crippling that country's leadership and should continue, arguing the campaign can be "a gateway to peace."
Joint U.S. and Israeli forces have conducted extensive air attacks across Iran since Feb. 28, targeting missile launchers, factories and command centers, including key infrastructure in Tehran and other major cities, and killing hundreds of Iranians as Iran has fired missiles and drones in retaliation across the region.
Speaking on "National Report," Klein reacted to a report that Iranian leaders were gathering to take a vote to replace the ayatollah, saying strikes were already hitting figures tied to succession planning.
"In the first 30 seconds of this war, Israel and America destroyed, killed 50 of the top leaders of Iran," Klein said.
Klein added that "there was a three-member commission to choose the next president, and they hit the building where they were meeting," though he acknowledged uncertainty about casualties.
"So there's no confirmation that the people there were eliminated, but the odds are high that they were," he said.
Klein said targeting senior figures undercuts the regime's ability to sustain the conflict.
"This is another blow to this regime remaining," Klein said, adding, "This will not be an endless war."
He said the United States should keep pressing the attack, including against Iran's paramilitary and intelligence apparatus.
"America simply has to continue and destroy the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps], their terrorist arm, to make it possible for the Iranian people to decide who their leaders will be in the future," Klein said.
As the fighting continues, the U.S. and Israel have expanded strikes on Iranian missile launchers and production sites, while Iran has retaliated across the region, disrupting travel and energy activity, according to reporting from the Associated Press.
Klein claimed broad backing for the operation and said Israeli public support is strong.
"The polls in Israel are overwhelming support for this effort to destroy this evil regime," he said.
He also asserted support among Iranians and Americans, saying, "81% of the Iranian people support this," and "some of the polls show 54 to 37 supporting this."
Klein argued the campaign is not about Israel driving U.S. decisions, and he pushed back on the idea that President Donald Trump acted at Israel's urging.
"First of all, nobody convinces Donald Trump to do what he doesn't want to do," Klein said.
He said Iran poses a direct threat to the United States, citing anti-American rhetoric and long-range weapons development.
"This is being done for we here in the United States of America and for the world," Klein said.
Klein also cited concerns about Iran's underground nuclear and missile infrastructure, saying facilities were being moved "even deeper into the ground," which he said could soon make them harder to strike.
Democratic criticism has grown as lawmakers debate limits on presidential war powers and the scope of U.S. involvement.
In the interview, a clip was played of Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., criticizing the administration's approach.
"They're following [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, who has literally told us ... on TV that he's been trying to do this for 47 years," Gallego said, adding, "we don't need to go to war for them, especially when it's a dumb war."
Klein responded by calling Gallego "dangerous and a fool," and said, "people like him are a danger to America."
Klein also criticized efforts by lawmakers to block or limit strikes, calling one such push "very dangerous and foolish," adding, "It's almost treasonous."
He praised Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., saying Fetterman is "condemning these people for this nonsensical and dangerous resolution."
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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