Israel’s President Isaac Herzog has said that regime change was the only viable future for Iran, as mass protests against the country’s clerical leadership continued to face a deadly crackdown.
Speaking on Thursday during an interview at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Herzog said the Iranian people were demanding fundamental change after weeks of unrest that initially began over economic grievances but later evolved into a broader movement against the theocratic system that has ruled Iran since 1979.
“The Iranian people are yearning for change. The Iranian people deserve change,” Herzog said.
He added that lasting progress in Iran could only come through a change of government, stressing that such a transition must be driven by Iranians themselves, with support from the international community.
“The future for the Iranian people can only be in a regime change, and that has to be… within the realms of the Iranian people and the international community and its support,” he said, describing Iran’s ruling clerical establishment as increasingly fragile.
Protests erupted across Iran from January 8, with thousands taking to the streets for several days. However, the demonstrations have since subsided, with activists blaming a severe government crackdown carried out under the cover of a nationwide internet shutdown.
Israel, a long-time adversary of Iran, has publicly expressed support for the protesters but has said it does not intend to intervene directly. Tensions between the two countries remain high.
Earlier in January, Iranian authorities accused Israel of attempting to undermine Iran’s national unity after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel stood “in solidarity with the struggle of the Iranian people.”
Iranian officials said on Wednesday that 3,117 people were killed during the protests that first broke out in late December. Activist groups, however, warned that the actual death toll could be significantly higher.
The renewed unrest came against the backdrop of escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel. Last year, the two countries fought a 12-day war after Israel launched a series of strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and residential areas, saying the attacks were aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear research and ballistic missile capabilities.
