Trump And Netanyahu Want Regime Change, But Iran’s Regime Was Built For Survival. A Long War Is Now Likely
Smoke rises in central Tehran after the US-Israel attack. Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA BY AMIN SAIKAL EMERITUS PROFESSR OF MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY; THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA; VICTORIA UNIVERSITY The joint US–Israel strikes on Iran, which killed the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel and neighbouring Arab countries have again plunged the Middle East into war. US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said their aim is to bring about a favourable regime change in Iran. The implications of this for Iran, the region and beyond should not be underestimated. Although Khamenei’s killing is a significant blow to the Islamic regime, it is not insurmountable. Many Iranian leaders have been killed in the past, including Qassem Soleimani , Tehran’s regional security architect, who was assassinated by the US in January 2020. But they have been replaced relatively smoot...
