Israeli experts say Tel Aviv's goal of overthrowing Iranian government unlikely to succeed

TEL AVIV, Israel

Israeli experts believe Tel Aviv's goal of overthrowing the Iranian government is unlikely to succeed, highlighting the difficulty of changing regimes through external pressure and attacks.

Experts argued that strikes on Iran have diverted attention away from Israel’s "real issue"—the Palestinian question—while also increasing internal support for the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Before the attacks on Iran, Israel was facing a "tsunami of international criticism" over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, according to Alon Liel, former charge d'affaires at the Israeli Embassy in Ankara and Foreign Ministry secretary.

However, strikes on Iran shifted the momentum, with European nations backing Israel and global attention turning toward Iran, Liel told Anadolu.

Liel acknowledged that Israel's strikes had slowed Iran's nuclear program and significantly harmed its missile capabilities, but he did not believe Tehran's nuclear ambitions could be completely eliminated.

“Even if Israel doesn't declare it, toppling the Iranian regime is another goal,” said Liel.

“I don’t think we can fully eliminate their nuclear ambitions, but we can delay them. Whether a grassroots opposition will form against the regime depends on the Iranian people.”

Israeli bombing of Iran’s television station is about 'regime change'

Speaking to Anadolu, Gideon Levy, a columnist for Haaretz known for criticizing Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and discriminatory occupation policies, said: “We don’t know how close Iran really is to nuclear weapons. Israel claims it’s very close. If that’s true, then this operation could be seen as legitimate.”

Levy added that Netanyahu has dedicated his life to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and after seeing Hezbollah's strength weakened and US support as an opportunity, he decided to launch the attack.

“I consider this a dangerous adventure. We’re still in the middle of it, and we don’t know how it will end,” he said.

"Israel bombed Iran’s television station. That’s about regime change—because a TV station has nothing to do with nuclear capabilities,” he said.

“Uranium isn’t produced or enriched at a TV station. They did it because the station symbolized the regime,” Levy noted.

Hostilities broke out on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

Israeli authorities said at least 25 people have been killed and hundreds injured since then in Iranian missile attacks.

Meanwhile, in Iran, 430 people have been killed and more than 3,500 wounded in the Israeli assault, according to the Iranian Health Ministry.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Celik in Ankara