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.

Iran has survived nearly two weeks of bombing raids and the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Trump is publicly contemplating ending the increasingly costly war.

If Iran’s new leadership keeps its grip on power, the long-term measure of the success of the conflict may hang on the fate of 440kg of enriched uranium which was buried under a mountain by US strikes last June, former and serving Israeli defence and intelligence sources said. 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.

    • Not_mikey@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      7 hours ago

      If the choice is between a central organized state that can make missiles to launch at you, or a basket case country with no ability to make missiles because the industry is destroyed and the ones that are left are being fired within the country, you pick the basket case state.

      Israel knows at this point they aren’t going to get a stable friendly regime in Iran like they have in the Gulf states since popular sentiment is so against them the people would overthrow that government. So if they can’t get a friendly state it’s better there’s no state at all to channel the broad hatred for Israel.

      • Soggy@lemmy.world
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        6 hours ago

        Trick question, the answer is c) you establish mutually beneficial ties with your neighbors and stop being jingoist fuckstains so neither of you have to launch missiles at each other.