Netanyahu promises Iran regime change: Can Israel topple Tehran government?
Israel can inflict devastating damage on Iran, but analysts question its ability to overthrow Tehran’s government.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that overthrowing Iran’s government remains Israel’s “primary objective”, as he faces declining support in the polls before national elections next week.
His remarks came after conversations with United States President Donald Trump on Sunday and a visit to Israel by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth. But Netanyahu offered no indication that Washington had agreed to join another offensive against Iran, let alone a campaign to bring down Iran’s leadership.
While Israel has the firepower to inflict serious damage on Iran, analysts told Al Jazeera, it lacks a clear strategy for translating military gains into the overthrow of Iran’s government. Air strikes alone are unlikely to achieve that objective, while a ground invasion would demand a far greater military commitment, they said.
Covert operations and cyberattacks, in his assessment, do not offer a clear route to overthrowing Iran’s government. Coningham was similarly sceptical that Kurdish or Baloch armed groups could provide the ground force needed to challenge the state. In March, the Trump administration was said to be actively discussing providing arms to opposition Kurdish groups, according to CNN, which cited Kurdish and US officials. But this never progressed.