Israel and the US have prepared a plan aimed at creating the conditions to accelerate the fall of Iran's ayatollah regime after the war ends, according to a source familiar with the details who spoke with Israel Hayom.
The plan includes public components designed to provide real-time assistance to the oppressed Iranian people in replacing the country's leadership. Naturally, the source declined to reveal the tactical aspects of the plan in order not to expose details to the other side.
According to the planning, however, the main force expected to bring about a change of government in Iran is the Iranian people themselves, not American or Israeli forces. In addition, both countries hope that any alternative leadership will emerge from the central elements of Iranian society rather than from the many minority groups living in the country, such as the Kurds or the Azeris.
Under the original war plan, the Iranian public was not expected to take to the streets at this stage. On the first day of the war, US President Donald Trump called on Iran's residents to "take shelter. Stay at home. It is very dangerous outside. Many bombs will fall." Trump added that only afterward would citizens be able to "take over your government. It belongs to you."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in a similar spirit Saturday night when he referred in the future tense to the moment when the Iranian people would be called upon to go out into the streets.
"The moment of truth is approaching. We do not seek to divide Iran but to free it from the yoke of tyranny. Ultimately, liberation from tyranny will depend on you. If you stand up at the moment of truth, the day will not be far off when Israel and Iran return to being strong friends," he said.
At the same time, Israeli officials stress that since a change of government depends on the Iranian people, there is no certainty that the effort will succeed. Sources familiar with the details note that there is also no guarantee that efforts to topple the ayatollah regime will begin immediately after the war ends or produce immediate results following the strikes. On the contrary, officials in Israel and the US are taking into account that a historic change of this kind could occur weeks or even months after the fighting subsides.
Meanwhile, against the backdrop of the rapid progress of the war plan, which is advancing faster than originally anticipated, a source familiar with the details estimates that the conflict could last less time than initially expected. In the early days, American officials spoke of a war that would last four to five weeks. Now, however, it appears that Israel and the US may halt the strikes in Iran earlier.
