Israel is monitoring Iran protests closely: Netanyahu

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Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday January 11, 2026 that Israel is closely monitoring the situation in Iran, as protests calling for freedom continue to spread across the country. In a public statement, Netanyahu praised what he described as the “immense bravery” of Iranian citizens taking part in the demonstrations, saying people in Israel and around the world were watching events in Iran with admiration. He said Israel supports what he called the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and strongly condemned what he described as the mass killing of innocent civilians during the unrest. Netanyahu also expressed hope that Iran would eventually be “liberated from the yoke of tyranny,” adding that such a development could pave the way for renewed relations between Israel and Iran. He said that if political change were to occur, the two countries could once again become partners in building a future of prosperity and peace for both nations, referring to the period before Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iranian authorities have not responded to Netanyahu’s comments. Protests have continued in multiple Iranian cities amid reports of a heavy security response, though casualty figures remain difficult to independently verify.