Tel Aviv, Israel – The Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs reported that senior Israeli security officials believe US President Donald Trump has an “unprecedented opportunity” to bring about regime change in Iran. At the same time, they warned that missing this opportunity would increase the likelihood of future conflicts with Tehran. An analysis published by the center stated that, according to these officials, Israel had an opportunity to target the Iranian leadership, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his son Mojtaba Khamenei, during the 12-day “Operation Rising Lion” against Iran in June 2015, but failed to capitalize on it. The report quoted Israeli security sources as saying that the lack of a change in Iran’s leadership during the current crisis will perpetuate the strategic threat posed by Tehran to Israel, particularly concerning its nuclear and missile programs.
According to the analysis, the continuation of the current power structure in Iran will force Israel into repeated rounds of military confrontation every few months. The aim is to disrupt the rebuilding of Iran’s nuclear program and limit the increase in its ballistic missile production. A senior political source in Jerusalem stated that Israel considers this scenario “unacceptable.” The source also indicated that if Washington does not act, Israel might take steps to remove Ali Khamenei. In a related context, the report pointed to an unwritten understanding between Israel and the United States not to target Iranian oil and gas infrastructure should the crisis escalate. It explained that the energy sector is the financial backbone of the Iranian government and the Revolutionary Guard, and that significant damage to it could plunge any potential transitional government into a deep economic crisis.
