Israeli government officials have acknowledged the difficulty of toppling Iran’s ruling system, describing regime change as a complex and uncertain objective that could take around a year.
According to the Israeli public broadcaster Kan, unnamed ministers and senior officials made the remarks following a security briefing on Tuesday evening, where they discussed possible outcomes of the ongoing conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran.
The officials reportedly said that replacing the Iranian regime would be a complicated process, adding that any internal political change would ultimately depend on developments inside Iran.
“The next stage will be the responsibility of the Iranian people,” the officials said, in comments seen as an attempt to encourage internal opposition.
However, Israeli security sources quoted by Kan acknowledged that conditions do not currently appear favourable for large-scale public protests in Iran.
READ: US Intelligence: Iranian regime not close to collapse
The report suggested that Israeli and US airstrikes are expected to continue in the coming days, as part of the broader military campaign.
One Israeli security source said the most realistic strategic objective was not necessarily regime change but inflicting significant damage on Iran’s military infrastructure and capabilities, while establishing long-term deterrence.
Israeli Defence Minister Yisrael Katz said on Wednesday that the joint war with the United States against Iran would continue “as long as necessary.”
“This operation will continue without any time limit, until we achieve all the objectives and determine the outcome of the campaign,” Katz said, claiming the strikes had already inflicted heavy losses on Iranian forces.
In recent weeks, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have called on Iranians to protest against their government, though such appeals have so far produced limited visible response.
READ: 21,720 buildings in Iran hit by ongoing US-Israeli strikes: Iranian Red Crescent
