BBC: Israel Seeks Regime Change in Iran, Bets on Trump

As Donald Trump openly threatens Iran and US military presence in the Middle East intensifies, Israel remains unusually silent, according to the BBC. Beyond limited public statements supporting anti-government protests in Iran this month, Prime Minister Netanyahu has said little publicly about Trump confronting Israel’s greatest adversary. His government remains equally quiet. “This shows the importance Netanyahu attaches to this moment,” said Danny Citrinovitz, a former 25-year Israeli Defense Intelligence officer and now senior Iran researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies. “For Netanyahu, with US forces so heavily deployed in the Gulf and Trump so close to striking Iran, this is a golden opportunity he cannot let pass.” Asaf Cohen, former deputy head of Israel’s signals intelligence unit, notes strategic intent behind Israel’s silence: “The [Israeli] leadership believes we must let the Americans lead this time—they’re stronger, have greater capabilities, and far more global legitimacy.” Netanyahu has long viewed Iran as Israel’s primary threat and the main source of regional instability. His public silence does not mean absence of private coordination with his key US ally. This week, Israeli Military Intelligence chief Slomi Binder met with US intelligence agencies in Washington—the discussion reportedly centered on potential Iranian targets. Trump is currently weighing multiple actions against Iran, including both limited symbolic strikes and full regime change—publicly alternating between military threats and offers of new negotiations. While many US allies warn that toppling Iran’s leadership poses massive regional risks, many in Israel see potential security benefits: ending Iran’s ballistic missile threat and halting its nuclear ambitions. A Tehran regime change would also further weaken Iran-backed armed groups across the region—including Hezbollah, which, per Israel’s Alma Research Institute, still holds up to 25,000 rockets and missiles beyond Lebanon’s borders. Yet regime change carries serious risks: without visible cracks in Iran’s military or political structure, chaos, escalation, or unintended consequences remain highly possible.