Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that toppling Iran’s government represents Israel’s main strategic goal, remarks made following discussions with US President Donald Trump on Sunday and a visit by Pentagon leadership. However, Netanyahu provided no confirmation that the United States had committed to participating in or supporting such an operation against Iran.
Military analysts assessed that while Israel possesses sufficient firepower to inflict substantial damage on Iranian military installations, the country lacks a coherent plan for converting military victories into actual government overthrow. Air campaigns alone would prove insufficient for this objective, experts indicated, with any ground operation requiring a significantly larger military deployment than Israel has committed thus far. Such an effort would also necessitate confronting a nation that has survived previous military campaigns and retains the capacity to strike back against both Israel and regional allies housing American military personnel.
The involvement of the United States remains unclear, with experts expressing skepticism about Washington’s willingness to support renewed military action given the absence of realistic pathways to force Iran’s leadership to capitulate. Specialists from research institutions noted that while Israel maintains advanced air defense capabilities and aerial refueling systems providing substantial military advantages, these assets alone cannot guarantee regime change. Netanyahu himself acknowledged in March that airpower had inherent limitations and would require ground forces, though he did not elaborate on implementation details.
Analysts highlighted additional constraints facing potential military action. Covert intelligence networks and cyberattack capabilities, once effective tools, carry the risk of being exposed and neutralized if deployed again. Efforts to arm Kurdish or Baloch groups as proxy ground forces face obstacles due to their limited military capacity relative to Iranian security forces. Iran maintains significant reserves of missiles and can produce inexpensive weaponry in large quantities, forcing Israel to expend costly defensive interceptors in exchange, creating unsustainable long-term financial and logistical pressures.
Observers noted that political divergences between Israeli and American leadership, particularly regarding timing and scope of any renewed military campaign, may ultimately prove decisive. Recent reporting indicated that an Israeli proposal for strikes had not secured Trump’s approval, with disagreements centered on immediate action rather than categorical rejection. Without American participation, Israel would lack access to specialized bunker-busting weapons and deep-strike capabilities previously employed in earlier campaigns.
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