Israeli Prime Minister calls for decisive action against Iran as regime's brutal suppression of protests leaves tens of thousands dead
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for a high-stakes meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington, the Jerusalem Post has issued a forceful editorial calling on both leaders to spearhead a fundamental shift in Western policy toward Iran, moving beyond diplomatic engagement toward a strategy aimed at confronting what it describes as a regime "unworthy of engagement."
Protests and Bloodshed on an Unprecedented Scale
The editorial comes against the backdrop of Iran's most devastating internal crisis in decades. Since late December, nationwide protests have swept through Iran, fueled by economic collapse and deep political stagnation. According to emerging reports, the Iranian regime's crackdown has been staggering in its ferocity, with an estimated 30,000 to 36,500 people killed in the government's response to the unrest.
The scale of violence dwarfs previous episodes of repression, including the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement that erupted in 2021 following the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran's morality police. During that wave of protests, hundreds were killed and thousands detained. The current crackdown, carried out under an enforced internet blackout, represents what observers describe as a qualitative escalation in the regime's willingness to use lethal force against its own population.
Human Rights Watch and United Nations investigations have documented systematic patterns of violence — including murder, torture, rape, mass arrests, and executions — attributing these actions not to rogue security elements but to deliberate state policy directed by the regime's leadership.
A Call for Moral Clarity Over Diplomacy
The Jerusalem Post editorial argues that the upcoming Netanyahu-Trump meeting must go beyond traditional discussions of strategic deterrence to embrace what it calls "moral clarity." The central thesis: a regime that kills its own citizens on such a massive scale cannot be trusted as a negotiating partner on nuclear thresholds, regional security, or international norms.
"It is not enough to urge Iran to 'come back to the table,'" the editorial states. "Millions have already paid with their lives while the table waits."
The piece takes direct aim at decades of Western engagement with Tehran, characterizing the diplomatic approach as a cycle of "appeasement and cautious pressure" that has failed to alter the fundamental character of the Iranian regime. The Obama-era nuclear deal, while temporarily curtailing Iran's nuclear program, is cited as having failed to address human rights abuses or the regime's support for regional militancy.
Proposed Action Plan
Rather than advocating for military intervention, the editorial calls for a comprehensive recalibration of Western policy built around several pillars:
Intensified sanctions specifically targeting Iran's security apparatus and those directly responsible for the crackdown
Support for Iranian civil society, including restoring communications access disrupted by the regime's internet blackout
International legal accountability, with referral of documented human rights abuses to appropriate legal forums
Coordinated multilateral pressure designed to deprive Tehran of the capability to threaten its neighbors and suppress its own population
Regional Security Dimensions
The editorial also highlights Iran's continued role as a destabilizing force across the Middle East. Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its network of allied militias continue to operate across Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. The regime's nuclear ambitions, described as "undeterred by decades of negotiations," remain a central concern for both Israel and the broader Western security architecture.
Netanyahu has long positioned himself as the leading international voice calling for direct confrontation with the Iranian threat, and the editorial frames the Washington visit as an opportunity for both leaders to translate rhetoric into substantive policy action.
Stakes for the Washington Meeting
The meeting between Netanyahu and Trump — building on previous encounters, including a December 2025 session at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida — is expected to place Iran at the top of the agenda. The editorial urges both leaders to seize the moment not for political posturing but for genuine leadership.
"Let that leadership be defined by steadfast support for the Iranians' cry for freedom and justice," the editorial concludes, "not by another round of appeasing talks that allow tyranny to persist."
The outcome of the Washington discussions could signal whether the Western approach to Iran is entering a new, more confrontational phase — one driven as much by humanitarian imperatives as by geopolitical calculations.