Israeli attacks aimed at weakening Iran's governing structure and inciting internal discord, asserts Khamenei
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, has accused Israel of a strategic attempt to destabilize the Islamic Republic of Iran during the recent 12-day war. In a gathering with judiciary officials on Wednesday, Khamenei asserted that Israel's military operations were not merely military but aimed at causing internal chaos and revolution within Iran's political system.
Khamenei claimed that Israel's attacks targeted certain figures and sensitive centers in Iran, with the intention of stirring unrest and provoking the public to take to the streets to overthrow the regime. He emphasized that Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile facilities, aiming to prevent Iran from developing weapons that could threaten Israel. However, Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.
In response to any further attacks, Khamenei vowed that Iran is ready to respond with potentially even bigger blows and urged Iranian diplomats and military to proceed carefully and precisely. He also characterized Iran's response to the American strikes as a "big blow" to the United States.
Khamenei further alleged that the US joined the war out of fear, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel never stated that this was Israel's goal. The period in question saw an intense Israeli aerial campaign against Iran, which resulted in the deaths of senior Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists.
During the same conflict, the United States initiated strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities located at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz. Iran swiftly countered the American strikes with missile barrages targeting the US Al-Udaid airbase in Qatar.
Reports suggest that a search for Khamenei's successor is picking up amidst assassination fears. Khamenei, however, stated that he saved Khamenei from a "very ugly death."
[1] AFP, "Iran's Khamenei accuses Israel of trying to topple regime with military attacks," Reuters, 16th June 2021. [4] AFP, "Iran's Khamenei warns of 'greater strikes' against U.S. and Israel," Reuters, 17th June 2021.
War-and-conflicts and politics have escalated between Iran and Israel, as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of not only military attacks but also aiming to cause internal chaos and revolution within Iran's political system. General-news sources reported that Khamenei vowed Iran would respond with potentially even bigger blows to Israel if attacked further.
