Right-Wing Yamina Party Vows Netanyahu’s Fall From Power

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett whispering to Benjamin Netanyahu at the right-wing bloc meeting in the Knesset last March (AFP)
Defense Minister Naftali Bennett whispering to Benjamin Netanyahu at the right-wing bloc meeting in the Knesset last March (AFP)
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Right-Wing Yamina Party Vows Netanyahu’s Fall From Power

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett whispering to Benjamin Netanyahu at the right-wing bloc meeting in the Knesset last March (AFP)
Defense Minister Naftali Bennett whispering to Benjamin Netanyahu at the right-wing bloc meeting in the Knesset last March (AFP)

The religious right-wing Yamina party, led by Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, has vowed to bring about the downfall of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Today’s date, May 12, will go down in history as the start of Netanyahu’s fall from power,” Bennett was quoted as saying.

Other Yamina leaders accused Netanyahu of selfishly turning his back to the party which has acted as a safety valve for him over the last five years. They also vowed to end Netanyahu’s political career very soon.

Officials in the ruling Likud party had accused Yamina of crushing efforts to join the government coalition, saying that Bennett wants three ministerial portfolios to solve his internal problems. Nevertheless, Yamina’s six-seat bloc in parliament is undeserving of three ministerial portfolios.

The Likud released the statement after Bennett burned bridges with Netanyahu by harshly criticizing him in an online press conference.

"Tonight it became final that Bennett and Yamina have decided to quit the right-wing bloc," the Likud statement said. "Bennett's refusal of our generous offer for Yamina to control all the issues that are important to religious Zionist reveals that he cares about cabinet seats, not ideology. It is unfortunate that due to internal conflicts, Bennett and his colleagues in Yamina preferred to join the opposition with [Yesh Atid head] Yair Lapid and [Balad MK] Heba Yazbak."

The Likud also complained that Yamina did not officially recommend to President Reuven Rivlin that Netanyahu form the next government, despite the party's campaign promises.

The new Israeli government that will emerge from the unity government deal signed by Netanyahu and Benny Gantz is expected have up to 36 cabinet ministers and up to 16 deputy ministers, making it the largest in Israel’s history.

It is noteworthy that Netanyahu is facing a problem with former Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein, who wants his job back but Gantz’s Blue and White Party is opposed to the idea.

Edelstein wants his job back to pave the way for his presidential candidacy once Reuven Rivlin’s mandate is over.



Khamenei: Loss of Iranian Commanders, Scientists is Heavy Blow

An Iranian woman holds up a poster of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in an anti-Israeli gathering in Tehran, Iran, July 25, 2025 (AFP) 
An Iranian woman holds up a poster of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in an anti-Israeli gathering in Tehran, Iran, July 25, 2025 (AFP) 
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Khamenei: Loss of Iranian Commanders, Scientists is Heavy Blow

An Iranian woman holds up a poster of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in an anti-Israeli gathering in Tehran, Iran, July 25, 2025 (AFP) 
An Iranian woman holds up a poster of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in an anti-Israeli gathering in Tehran, Iran, July 25, 2025 (AFP) 

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei admitted on Saturday the loss of military commanders and nuclear scientists as a heavy loss for Iran but insisted that “the enemy has not achieved its goal.”

Khamenei, 86, had claimed victory after 12 days of war with Israel, culminating in an Iranian attack on the largest US base in the region, located in Qatar.

On June 25, he said the United States “has gained nothing from this war,” claiming that American strikes “did nothing significant” to Iran’s nuclear facilities.

But in his message on Saturday commemorating the 40th day after the killing of the senior military commanders and scientists, Khamenei said, “The blow was delivered by the wicked and criminal Zionist ruling group, which is the vile and hostile enemy of the Iranian nation.”

He added, “Without a doubt, the loss of commanders such as (chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces) Mohammed Bagheri, (commander of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) Hossein Salami, (commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters) Gholam-Ali Rashid, (commander of the IRGC Air Force) Amir Ali Hajizadeh, (top Revolutionary Guard commander) Ali Shadmani and other military personnel, as well as scientists like Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, Fereidoun Abbasi and other scholars, is heavy for any nation.”

But Khamenei concluded, “The foolish and shortsighted enemy did not achieve its goal.”

He said the Iranian Revolution's military and scientific progress would soon “press forward faster than before toward lofty horizons.”

The Iranian leader also noted that in this tragic event, Iran has once again demonstrated the strength of its foundations. “Iran's enemies are hammering on cold iron”

He therefore said that “continually equipping the country with the means to protect its national security and independence is the duty of our military commanders.”

Iran has said Israel killed more than 40 senior security officials and senior nuclear scientists to deliver a major blow to Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Khamenei’s statement came as Iran's government and diplomatic team are actively seeking to re-engage in negotiations regarding its nuclear program.

Simultaneously, Tehran is trying to avoid the threats of UN sanctions snapback.

Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3 nations, have threatened to trigger a “snapback” mechanism included in a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which would reimpose sanctions that were lifted in exchange for Iran accepting restrictions and monitoring of its nuclear program.

Foreign Priorities

At the political level, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed to focus the country’s foreign policy on regional outreach and on ties with China and Russia.

He urged the country’s foreign ministry to enhance relations with neighboring countries by removing border barriers and fostering extensive economic connections.

During a meeting with the ministry’s team in Tehran on Saturday, Pezeshkian said, “Through established coordination and policies, we will seek to prioritize expansion of closer, deeper, and better relations with our neighbors, and then develop and advance our ties with the countries with which we have good interactions, including Russia, China, the BRICS group, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Eurasian Union.”

He said Iran’s enemies aggressively sought during the recent 12-day war to bring the country to its knees, “but the dear Iranian nation took outstanding measures that need to be appreciated earnestly.”