Israel has targeted the "overthrow of the Iranian government"
A senior Israeli official stressed that Israel must "overthrow" the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran before the end of Donald Trump's presidency.
In the latest step in the tense developments between Iran and Israel, Israeli media reported yesterday, Monday, November 10, that a high-ranking Israeli government official (whose name was not disclosed) has announced that his country must remove the Iranian government from power before the end of Donald Trump's presidency.
According to the official, Israel is closely monitoring Tehran's missile activities; according to the report, Iran is trying to rebuild its missile arsenal and is considering the scenario of "simultaneously firing two thousand missiles at Israel" in the event of renewed conflict.
Following these statements, Iranian officials have also reacted. Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said in response to Israel's statements: "The Islamic Republic will not back down from American threats, even if it costs the 'price of confrontation.'"
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman also announced that inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency visited some nuclear facilities last week, including the Tehran Research Reactor, although international reports indicate that full access to sensitive facilities such as Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan has not yet been achieved.
The timeline put forward by the Israeli official suggests that Tel Aviv has a limited window of opportunity to act: “before the end of Trump’s term.” Assuming Donald Trump’s presidency continues until January 2029, it suggests that Israel intends to act within this timeframe, or at least has left a window open for it.
However, some analysts believe that the purpose of these statements is more political and propaganda than an announcement of an imminent attack. In other words, they are intended to put pressure on Tehran and its allies to force Iran to back down or negotiate.
Israel has previously carried out extensive attacks against Iran's nuclear and missile infrastructure, and this time it appears that the target is not just the nuclear program, but the power structure of the Iranian government.
On the other hand, Iran has also made it clear that it will not surrender to threats; this increases the likelihood of a wider conflict, despite the fact that neither side has shown any current inclination towards full-scale war.
