U.S. Officials Skeptical Of Regime Change In Tehran After Khamenei Killing: Report
HuffPost
Many senior U.S. officials remain skeptical that the U.S. and Israeli military operation against Iran will lead to a regime change in the near term.
March 1 (Reuters) - Following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, many senior U.S. officials remain skeptical that the U.S. and Israeli military operation against the Islamic Republic will lead to a regime change in the near term.
Before and after the start of the attack, U.S. officials, including U.S. President Donald Trump, had suggested that toppling the nation’s repressive governing system was one of several U.S. goals, in addition to crippling Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs.
“I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment ... and take back your country,” Trump said on Sunday in a video posted on Truth Social.
But three U.S. officials familiar with U.S. intelligence said there is serious skepticism that Iran’s battered opposition can topple the theocratic, authoritarian governing system that has been in place since 1979.
No officials consulted by Reuters completely ruled out the possibility of the fall of Iran’s government, which currently is buffeted by key personnel losses from ongoing U.S. and Israeli air strikes and is deeply unpopular following a January round of extraordinarily violent repression.
Jack White ripped apart the president's fashion choice in his announcement on the attack before slamming critics who called on him to "stick to music."
Rahman, who was Rep. Ilhan Omar’s guest, suspects her unprecedented punishment was related to her testifying to Congress about her brutal ICE detention in Minneapolis.
President Donald Trump told Axios it will take Iranians "several years to recover from this attack."
The administration’s latest escalation is boosting the global view of the U.S. as a rogue actor, fueling instability, acting illogically and illegally and risking innocent lives.