Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Israel preparing for new strikes on Iran, anti-government protests in Serbia, and political violence in Australia.

Netanyahu Echoes Call for Regime Change in Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a forceful directive to the country’s military and security agencies just days before a critical parliamentary election. His message: overthrow the Iranian regime.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Israel preparing for new strikes on Iran, anti-government protests in Serbia, and political violence in Australia.

Netanyahu Echoes Call for Regime Change in Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a forceful directive to the country’s military and security agencies just days before a critical parliamentary election. His message: overthrow the Iranian regime.

“There is only one way to remove this threat once and for all,” Netanyahu told new officers of the Israel Defense Forces at their graduation ceremony on Wednesday, arguing that as long as Iran’s current leadership remains, Israel faces an “existential threat.”

That objective is nothing new. For years, Netanyahu has described Iran’s existence as a threat to Israel’s security, citing its common refrain of “death to Israel” and arguing that Tehran seeks to develop a nuclear weapons program. Iran’s repeated insistence that its nuclear advancements are only for civilian purposes has done little to assuage Israel’s fears.

Now, with Netanyahu’s Likud party facing a crucial parliamentary vote on Oct. 27, the right-wing leader is turning to a tried-and-true playbook to try and secure enough votes to remain in power.

The election will be the first one since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The attack ultimately led to devastating conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran—all of which have sparked fierce condemnation from rights activists who have accused Israeli forces of perpetrating war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

Many analysts see........

© Foreign Policy