Netanyahu Calls on Iranians to Unite Against ‘Oppressive Regime’ in Televised Address

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a televised address on June 13, 2025, urging Iranians to rise against their “oppressive regime” and overthrow the Islamic Republic.

Broadcast in English and Persian from Jerusalem, the speech accused Tehran of fueling terrorism through proxies like Hezbollah and Houthis, draining Iran’s wealth on foreign conflicts. Netanyahu highlighted Iran’s economic struggles, with soaring prices for bread and fuel crippling markets in Tehran and Shiraz, and strict internet controls stifling dissent in universities and cafes.

The address followed Israel’s April 2025 airstrikes on Iranian military sites, a retaliation for Iran’s missile barrage that lit up Tel Aviv’s night sky. Netanyahu invoked the 2022 protests sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death, praising Iranians who marched through Isfahan’s streets, waving banners against mandatory hijabs. He promised support for a “free Iran,” though details remained vague, as Israeli drones patrolled the Golan Heights.

Iran’s government, based in Tehran’s fortified palaces, vowed swift retaliation, with Revolutionary Guards conducting drills in the Persian Gulf. The call, delivered amid stalled U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, heightened tensions, with oil tankers rerouting from Hormuz to avoid potential strikes. Nigeria, reliant on Iranian oil imports under NNPCL’s Bayo Ojulari, faced risks of price spikes, as global markets braced for further escalation.