He said that Israel wants Iran, whose cleric-run government has championed Hamas, to be “permanently weakened” - a strategy Israel has pursued across the region, notably in repeatedly bombing historic adversary Syria despite a change in government. Both Netanyahu and Trump have spoken favourably of Iranians overthrowing the Islamic republic, which faces widespread opposition and ruthlessly suppressed protests in January, but neither has made it an explicit goal. Trump - who for years denounced US interventionism in the Middle East as wasteful and misguided - has offered different explanations for attacking the country of 90 million people, mostly focusing on degrading its military. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Growing partisan gapIsrael retains strong support within Trump’s Republican Party but the rival Democratic Party - and a few prominent voices on the right - have accused Trump of blindly following Israel into a regional war.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 10, 2026 00:48 UTC