Iran’s leadership remains largely unchanged, and is not in danger of collapsing any time soon. Reuters wrote, citing sources, that US intelligence had reached this conclusion.
According to one of the agency’s interlocutors, “multiple” intelligence reports concluded that the Iranian regime “maintains control over the population.”
A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Israeli officials also acknowledged in closed meetings that they were not confident that the war would lead to a change in power in Iran.
The agency notes that it is still unclear how the American-Israeli military campaign will be able to overthrow the current government in Iran. A Reuters interviewer indicated that this would require a ground operation.
The United States and Israel began launching strikes on Iran on February 28. In response, Tehran began attacking Israel and countries it considers allies of Washington. An Israeli air strike on February 28 killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was chosen as the country’s new spiritual leader.
According to the Wall Street Journal, US President Donald Trump told his aides that he would support the killing of Mojtaba Khamenei if he was not willing to give in to the demands. Trump has publicly stated that he should participate in appointing a new leader for Iran after the country’s “unconditional surrender.”