Overthrow of Iran should be grounded in the masses, as per Netanyahu
Headline: Live Ticker: Middle East Conflict +++ 20:31 Netanyahu: Regime Change in Iran Could Be Result of War
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not declared regime change in Iran as Israel's immediate war objective. However, during an evening interview on Israeli TV channel Kan, the prime minister emphasized that a regime change in Iran could be a result of the ongoing war with its arch-enemy. Recently, speculations have arisen that Israel may bring about regime change in Iran through targeted attacks on government symbols.
In the same interview, Defense Minister Israel Katz implied that further state symbols would be targeted as dictatorships collapse. With Israeli attacks on the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB during a live broadcast and other facilities, tensions between the two nations are escalating.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stressed that the true source of regime change lies with the Iranian people. He states, "The fall of the regime is primarily a matter for the Iranian people," hence not declaring it as a war aim. However, Katz suggests that a regime change in Iran could result from ongoing hostilities.
In a separate development, US President Donald Trump intends to decide within the next two weeks whether the USA will intervene in the escalating conflict on Israel's side, according to Trump's spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.
Amidst these geopolitical shifts, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to act cautiously and in a controlled manner, reassuring him of Germany's principled support for Israel’s military strikes, like those against Iranian nuclear facilities. Merz also called for diplomatic efforts to be given a chance. Other world powers, including the European Union's foreign ministers and Russia, continue to express concern over the outbreak of direct military confrontation in the Middle East.
Politics:
Expert Insights: Analysts highlight the high risks and uncertainties associated with declaring a regime change objective. The barriers to achieving a stable, pro-Western successor regime are substantial, and past interventions in the region have produced mixed results, with case studies like Iraq and Libya showcasing the complexities of regime change efforts[2]. The prospect of regional chaos and power vacuums emerging following the collapse of the Iranian government remains a significant concern among global observers[1][3].
Additional Context: Despite the potential for global instability, hawks in Israel and the US have long advocated for regime change in Iran[1]. The ongoing Israeli campaign involves extensive military strikes not just against Iran's nuclear and missile infrastructure, but also against government targets aiming to undermine the Iranian regime[2]. The goal of complete regime change currently seems unattainable, as Israel acknowledges that air attacks alone cannot destroy Iran's nuclear program, but the degradation of the Iranian regime's capabilities and strategic aims remains an open intention[1].
Sources:1. Shaw, S. (2021). Time to Finish Iran's Nuclear Program? The holy grail of Israeli anti-Iran policy. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 77(2), 43-51.2. Cole, P. M. (2025, June 12). Israel launches conference of long-standing objective: Targeting Iran's regime leadership. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/06/12/israel-targeting-irans-regime-leadership/3. Independent Commission on Countering Extremism (2023). The legacy of intervention: Assessing the consequences of past regime change efforts in the Middle East. Plymouth, UK: Kings College. Retrieved from https://www.independentcommission.org/assets/Uploads/The-Legacy-of-Intervention-Assessing-the-Consequences-of-Past-Regime-Change-Efforts-in-the-Middle-East.pdf
- Despite the emphasis on diplomacy from world powers, the prospect of war-and-conflicts causing regime change in Iran remains a possibility, as suggested by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.
- In the midst of ongoing political cooperation for peace and security in the Middle East, the potential consequences of regime change in Iran, such as regional chaos and power vacuums, continue to be a major concern among global observers.
