“The Arab Spring will be followed by a Persian Spring, instability is spreading in Iran, and not just in Tehran,” Lieberman told Israeli military radio.

“There is no doubt that the protest movement will be strengthened by the approach of the Iranian presidential elections next summer,” he added.

“The Iranian regime is reaching a critical point. International sanctions will not convince the leaders of the country to renounce their nuclear programme, but what is important is that the Iranian people have begun to realise that they are not ready to be sacrificed to satisfy the revolutionary and fanatic ambitions of their leaders,” he said.