TEL AVIV -- Yair Lapid, the leader of the opposition in Israel, says air strikes on Iranian oil fields --which have showered Tehran in black rain -- were needed to cut the “lifeline of the regime” in Iran.
Speaking to RFE/RL at a downtown location hit on March 8 by falling debris from an intercepted Iranian missile, Lapid also indicated that Israel reserves the right to strike any new supreme leader who takes power following the death last weekend of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“It depends who is the leader,” he said. “This is our way of protecting ourselves from death and destruction. Because, you know, this is what this regime is.”
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Israeli Opposition Head Says Wait And See On Any New Iranian Leader
Lapid, who was Israel's prime minister for several months in 2022 before Benjamin Netanyahu returned to office, has strongly backed the Israeli government’s decision to launch airstrikes on Iran on February 28, which included those that killed Khamenei.
The body in charge of selecting Iran's new supreme leader said on March 8 it had reached a decision on a new leader, but did not immediately reveal the name of the choice.
US President Donald Trump said earlier on March 8 that any new supreme leader "is not going to last long" without White House approval.
Lapid's support comes despite the bitter battles he has fought against Netanyahu on domestic policies and the Gaza Strip.
“I can't remember a time when we stood that united and that determined,” he said, praising the “spirit of the Israeli people.”
RFE/RL has approached Netanyahu’s Likud party for comment. In recent days, Likud lawmakers and ministers have rarely given media interviews.
Netanyahu's Televised Address
In a televised addressed on March 7, Netanyahu said Israel had an "organized plan with many surprises" in store. Netanyahu told Israelis the campaign would "destabilize the regime" and that "the moment of truth is drawing near."
In his role of official opposition leader, Lapid gets security briefings directly from Netanyahu.
Asked whether Netanyahu’s remarks meant that regime-change was imminent in Iran, Lapid said “I find it hard to believe that there is a real possibility for regime change with airstrikes."
SEE ALSO: EU Sees No 'Imminent' Oil Shortage As Crude Prices Soar"I think ‘boots-on-the-ground’ is not inevitable, but maybe it's not the greatest idea. What we are doing now is creating the conditions or enabling the people of Iran to change their own fate,” the 62-year-old added.
A part of this, he said, were strikes on Iran’s oil industry. Israel made what appeared to be its first attack on oil facilities on March 7. The next morning, dark, polluted clouds clogged the sky and black rain fell on Tehran.
“This is where the money is coming from. They spent the last...40 years building nuclear sites instead of building an economy for themselves. So, what they have is those oil sites. So, eliminating them will help cutting the lifeline of the regime,” Lapid said.
'Heartbreaking' Civilian Deaths In Iran
The current US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran have decapitated the country’s clerical leadership and substantially weakened its military.
They have also caused civilian casualties.
SEE ALSO: Iranian Jews In Israel Speak Of Pain And Hope Amid ConflictThe US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says more than 1,200 civilians have been killed, including nearly 200 children. In Israel, which has state-of-the-art air defenses, there have been 12 civilian fatalities.
Asked about the toll on civilians, Lapid pointed to the damaged building behind him.
“Look around you. Where are we? This is not a military site, right? So. the Iranians are intentionally trying to kill civilians,” he said.
“Sometimes bystanders and the innocent are killed, especially when it's children. It's heartbreaking. Children should not die in grown-ups' wars. Yet it's a mistake. Here, they are doing it intentionally.”