Overview
- On Wednesday Sept 9, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told troops on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon that toppling Iran’s Islamic Republic is Israel’s “main task” and that the regime is “very close” to collapse.
- Defence Minister Israel Katz joined the visit and vowed Israel will stay in the Mount Hermon security zone while saying the military is prepared to strike Iran again.
- Israeli forces have occupied a southern Syria security zone since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 and officials say Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes and repeated incursions to block Iran-linked supply routes.
- The comments came during a six-month U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran that has included trading attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and which Israeli statements say has degraded Iran’s regional supply lines to proxies such as Hezbollah.
- Reporting tone varies across outlets with some emphasizing Netanyahu’s regime-change rhetoric and operational claims and others highlighting legal and diplomatic concerns over Israel’s extended presence in Syrian territory; the broader risk is further regional escalation and more maritime attacks that could raise oil prices and threaten civilian safety.