Israel Thought It Could Spur Rebellion Inside Iran. That Hasn’t Happened.
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- Mossad chief David Barnea proposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a plan to ignite an Iranian uprising shortly after a potential war with Iran begins, aiming to destabilize and possibly collapse the Iranian government.
- The plan, which included targeted killings of Iranian leaders and intelligence operations to encourage regime change, was also presented to senior Trump administration officials and was supported by both Netanyahu and President Trump despite skepticism from some American and Israeli intelligence officials.
- Three weeks into the conflict, no significant Iranian uprising has occurred, with intelligence assessments indicating that while Iran's government is weakened, it remains intact and that fear of military and police forces has suppressed large-scale rebellion and cross-border militia actions.
