# Netanyahu Vows to Topple Iran's Regime, Dismisses Settler Violence Concerns as 'Exaggeration'

> In a rare two-hour briefing with Israeli reporters nine days before the election, the prime minister laid out his security pitch, insisting regime change in Iran is nearly complete and that reports of settler attacks are overblown.

- Source: Israel Politics Post
- Canonical URL: https://israelpoliticspost.com/article/netanyahu-preelection-briefing-iran-settler-violence
- Author: Israel Politics Post Staff
- Section: Elections
- Published: 2026-10-18T15:50:06.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-18T15:50:06.000Z
- Tags: Netanyahu, Iran, West Bank, 2026 election

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used a rare, two-hour briefing with Israeli journalists on Sunday to lay out the security argument behind his reelection campaign, days ahead of the October 27 vote, The Times of Israel reported. Several major outlets chose to boycott the session.

Iran dominated the briefing. "The regime must fall, and I will bring it down," Netanyahu told reporters, describing regime change as Israel's central strategic goal despite two unsuccessful pushes toward that outcome in 2025 and 2026. He claimed roughly 90 percent of the necessary work was already done and tied finishing it directly to his own reelection.

Asked about a string of incidents in which journalists and foreign diplomats have come under attack in the West Bank, Netanyahu waved off the scrutiny. "I think this is a huge exaggeration," he said, adding that he believes Israel is "facing a major propaganda campaign surrounding these young rioters."

On regional strategy, Netanyahu pointed to deepening ties with India and several Latin American countries, and claimed that European governments were quietly seeking Israeli defense technology even as their leaders criticized Israel in public. He rejected the idea that Israel's international standing has deteriorated, attributing that narrative to sustained propaganda rather than any real shift in how Israel is perceived abroad.

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Originally published by Israel Politics Post. Free to cite with attribution and a link to https://israelpoliticspost.com/article/netanyahu-preelection-briefing-iran-settler-violence.