About 40 percent of its estimated 8,000 strikes have been against Iranian security forces and installations that would be used to suppress another popular uprising, a Middle East security official said. Both U.S. and Israeli intelligence officials acknowledge, however, that Iran’s regime is “not cracking” and its hold on power remains intact. “I don’t think any two leaders have been as coordinated as President Trump and I,” Netanyahu said. “We don’t believe that there is a high likelihood to overthrow a regime with the kind of air campaign we planned for Iran,” said an Israeli official. For now, Iran’s regime remains in place and, according to U.S. intelligence assessments, is more hard-line than before.

Source: Washington Post March 20, 2026 18:02 UTC