Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he spoke with US President Donald Trump on Sunday about the importance of eliminating Iran's regime. 'We are committed to completing the elimination of the Iranian regime,' Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office, reported by Reuters on Tuesday. 'I have discussed this with Trump many times, including the day before yesterday.' Awaaz Punjab notes that this is Netanyahu's own account of the conversation: Trump has not issued a separate statement confirming a US commitment to eliminating Iran's government.

Speaking at the opening of the academic year at Tel Hai–Kiryat Shmona University in northern Israel on Tuesday, Netanyahu repeated the pledge in public remarks, saying overthrowing Iran's government would also lead to the 'elimination of Hezbollah' and peace with Lebanon, IANS reported via Xinhua. The remarks came a week before Israel's legislative election on October 27, in which Netanyahu has made his close ties with Trump a central campaign argument; Trump endorsed Netanyahu for re-election on Sunday.

The statement follows an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who met Netanyahu at Ovda Air Base in southern Israel, where US refuelling planes and fighter jets are deployed — a meeting Awaaz Punjab reported earlier on Tuesday. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had responded to earlier 'finish the job' rhetoric on X, writing that the last time Israel and the US tried, Iran emerged stronger, and warning that Iran has 'unfinished jobs too' — a claim reported as Tehran's position, not verified fact.

At the same time, a separate diplomatic track was reported to be alive: the Jerusalem Post reported on Tuesday, via AzerNews, that Washington and Tehran had both reacted positively to a mediation proposal put forward by Qatar and Pakistan that reportedly takes into account demands from both sides, including the release of frozen Iranian assets and IAEA visits to Iranian nuclear sites. That report is attributed and has not been confirmed by either government.

Sources: Reuters (Netanyahu office statement, syndicated 20 October 2026); IANS via Xinhua (NewKerala, AsiaPost, 20 October 2026); JFeed speech report, Tel Hai–Kiryat Shmona University, 20 October 2026; Jerusalem Post mediation report via AzerNews.