Michael Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., said Sunday that the Iranian people must mobilize to overthrow the Islamic Republic regime.

“I think that we need boots on the ground, but they have got to be Iranian boots, and I think they’re coming,” Leiter told host Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

He noted that the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran will only end when there is “not an entity in Tehran that’s going to threaten the region.”

“Now, if that’s going to be brought about by this regime having a change of heart, hard to imagine, but going on the assumption that that happens, then it’ll take place that way,” Leiter said.

However, he predicted such an outcome would likely only occur through the Iranian people rising up against the regime. Leiter also noted Iranian forces “brutally put down” protesters earlier this year.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that in the first 50 days of demonstrations against the regime this winter, government-backed forces killed at least 6,488 protesters, at least 236 children and at least 76 civilians who were not protesting.

The military conflict, which is approaching the one-month mark, escalated again Saturday as Israel attacked a nuclear enrichment site in Natanz, Iran. Tehran retaliated by launching missiles at the Israeli cities of Arad and Dimona, which are close to Israel’s main nuclear facility.

The Israeli Ministry of Health said Sunday that 180 people from both cities were admitted to Soroka Medical Center, with eight in serious condition, 24 in moderate condition and 148 in mild condition.

Leiter vowed Israel’s response to that attack will be “to continue with this campaign until we bring this regime to its knees.”

“We cannot live anymore with a country that is malign, that has intent on destroying us, that declares it’s going to destroy us all the time and is now firing ballistic missiles into all of its neighbors. This has to stop,” he added.

Since the U.S. and Israel first launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, at least 1,406 Iranian civilians, including at least 210 children, have been killed as of Saturday, according to HRANA.

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