President Isaac Herzog of Israel has said that the future of Iran can only be secured through regime change, as the country continues to grapple with mass protests and a harsh crackdown by clerical authorities.
Herzog made the remarks on Thursday during an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, saying the Iranian people were calling for change after weeks of demonstrations that began over economic grievances and later evolved into a broader challenge to the theocratic rule established since 1979.
“The Iranian people are yearning for change. The Iranian people deserve change,” Herzog said.
He added that any transition must come from within Iran, 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.
Herzog described the Iranian leadership as being in a fragile state amid ongoing unrest.
“It’s clear to me that the Ayatollah regime is in quite a fragile situation,” he said.
The protests, which erupted from January 8, have reportedly reduced in intensity as activists describe a brutal crackdown by security forces under the cover of an extensive internet shutdown.
According to AFP report, Israel has expressed support for the demonstrators but has not indicated any intention to intervene directly. Iran had earlier accused Israel of seeking to undermine its unity after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed solidarity with the Iranian people.
Iranian authorities said on Wednesday that 3,117 people had been killed during the protests that began in late December, but activists claim the death toll could be much higher.
Relations between Iran and Israel remain strained following a 12-day war last year, when Israel launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and residential areas, saying the attacks aimed to weaken Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.