Israel did not have a realistic plan for regime change when it attacked Iran, multiple Israeli security sources have said, with expectations that airstrikes could lead to a popular uprising having been driven by “wishful thinking” rather than hard intelligence. Enough for more than 10 nuclear warheads, Iran could use it to hasten the construction of a weapon if the material remains in the country. The overwhelming military dominance of US and Israeli forces in this war is likely to bolster that view if the regime survives. Negotiations before the war also included proposals for Iran to surrender the enriched uranium to another country. Regime change ‘wishful thinking’The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Donald Trump launched the war with calls for regime change, immediately turning the conflict into an existential one for Iran’s rulers.

Source: The Guardian March 12, 2026 22:13 UTC