Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar revealed, in a closed conversation, the background to Israel’s waging a second war against Iran with the participation of the United States, noting that the decision came against the backdrop of fears of fortifying the Iranian nuclear program.
According to recordings obtained by Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Saar said during a meeting with members of the “American Friends of Likud” association, that Iran has not resumed uranium enrichment since the American attack in June 2025, in contradiction to the statements of US President Donald Trump.
He explained that Israel chose escalation because Tehran intended to move its nuclear program deep into the ground, which would have made it immune to any American or Israeli air strikes.
He said: “We saw that they were planning to move the program deep underground, where it would become completely immune, so we had to make a decision, and we had no better options.”
Saar stressed that overthrowing the Iranian regime was not a direct goal, but rather the goal was to “remove existential threats for the longest possible period and create the conditions to achieve this.”
He added: “We knew that regime change was not in our hands, as Iran is 75 times larger than Israel, and we had no plan to invade or occupy it, and in the end the decision rests with the Iranian people.”
He pointed out that Israel may move if a clear opportunity arises to advance the path of regime change, pointing out that Iran faces great economic pressures that may affect its internal affairs.
He continued that these pressures previously contributed to protests, considering that the economic factor constitutes an element of pressure on the regime, despite its adherence to its policies and lack of flexibility in the nuclear file.
He concluded by noting that Tehran, despite avoiding a return to war, still refuses to make fundamental concessions regarding its nuclear program.
