Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced support on Sunday for anti-regime protests in Iran, telling his Cabinet that Jerusalem stands with Iranians seeking freedom amid the country's widening unrest and that this may be a pivotal moment in their fight for change.
"The government of Israel, the State of Israel, and my policy: We identify with the struggle of the Iranian people, with their aspirations for freedom, liberty and justice," the premier said. "It is very possible that we are standing at the moment when the Iranian people are taking their fate into their own hands."
Netanyahu recalled how his discussions with President Donald Trump during his recent visit to Florida took place at the "beginning of the developing, dramatic events" in Iran, briefly referencing Trump's social media post on Jan. 2 in which he vowed that Washington would intervene if the Iranian regime violently suppresses the protests.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that if "Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters," Washington will "come to their rescue," adding that the U.S. is "locked and loaded and ready to go."
Netanyahu also addressed the coordination between Washington and Jerusalem over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program in the context of his talks with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Dec. 29.
"We reiterated our joint position of zero enrichment on one hand, and the need to remove the 400 kilograms of enriched material from Iran and oversee the sites with tight and genuine supervision," the prime minister stated.
At least 16 people have been killed in a week of nationwide protests, rights groups said on Sunday.
Anger over soaring inflation and a plunging currency has fueled the biggest demonstrations in three years, with the unrest spreading and drawing a harsh response from security forces. Protesters have taken to the streets in more than 170 locations across 25 of Iran's 31 provinces, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said on Sunday.
The Iranian regime has also been grappling with the reimposition of international economic sanctions over Tehran's nuclear violations. The United Nations sanctions followed the "snapback" mechanism triggered in late 2025. The Islamic Republic is also struggling with its worst water crisis in decades and a worsening electricity crisis.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday addressed the mounting unrest in the Islamic Republic, saying, "Protesting is legitimate, but protesting is different from rioting.
"We talk with protesters. The officials must talk with the protesters. But, there's no point in talking with a rioter. Rioters must be put in their place," the Iranian dictator wrote on X.
His tweet was an apparent response to the threat issued the previous day by Trump.
Senior Iranian officials are warning of a fierce response if Trump follows through on his threat to intervene should Tehran use lethal force against demonstrators.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz tweeted on Saturday, "The Iranian regime's whining to the U.N. ignores decades of sponsoring terrorism and crushing their own people."
America and Trump "stand firmly with Iranians yearning for freedom!" he added.
Waltz referred to a letter that Tehran submitted to the U.N. Security Council on Friday, protesting Trump's threat as a "violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations."
The letter urged the Security Council to condemn Washington's statements, claiming that the Islamic Republic will "exercise its rights decisively and proportionately."
This JNS.org report was republished with permission from Jewish News Syndicate.
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