Netanyahu warns 'ground component' necessary for regime change in Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday indicated that the Islamic regime in Iran would not be overthrown without a "ground component" to the current conflict.

Boots of the ground are a sensitive issue in the United States, with polling showing the public overwhelmingly opposed to such a move in Iran. The prospect of an Iranian Kurdish uprising spearheaded by militants from Iraqi Kurdistan briefly entered the news cycle, but such an effort has not materialized.

“It is often said that you can’t win, you can’t do revolutions from the air, that is true,” Netanyahu told reporters. “You can’t do it only from there, you can do a lot of things from the air and we’re doing, but there has to be a ground component, as well. There are many possibilities for this ground component, and I take the liberty of not sharing with you all those possibilities."

The prospect of Israeli troops entering Iran appears unlikely, though the Pentagon has deployed thousands of Marines and naval warships to the region, leading many to speculate that the U.S. could pursue a limited operation, such as the occupation of Kharg and Qeshm islands in the Persian Gulf.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.