‘Whiff of regime change is in the air’ after initial Israeli successes against Iran

Published June 16, 2025 7:54pm ET



Israeli officials have given conflicting messages on whether they are looking to force a regime change in Iran with their military campaign.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ABC News on Monday that assassinating Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei would “end the conflict,” not “escalate the conflict,” while a day earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel’s Security Cabinet “had decided on the objectives” and regime change “was not one of” them.

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