Israel Waits on U.S. to Settle ‘Unfinished Business’ With Iran

As Donald Trump weighs military strikes against Iran, one normally loquacious and vehement champion of toppling the regime in Tehran has kept a noted silence: Benjamin Netanyahu.

Other than a quick nod this Sunday to the “bravery of Iran’s citizens”, the Israeli premier has said little about the nationwide protests and violent crackdown that have wracked the Islamic republic in recent weeks.

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Yaakov Amidror, a former national security adviser and a Netanyahu confidant, said Israel stood to gain whether Trump sought to bring down the regime or was ultimately aiming for something more limited.

If he pursued regime change, “it means they think the same as us . . . that the fall of the regime is worth it, even if it leads to chaos”, said Amidror, now a fellow at the JINSA think-tank.

“If at the end of the day, he makes a deal, and he gives up the plan to destroy the regime [in exchange] for cleaning Iran of its nuclear and missile projects . . . it’s [also] a fantastic result.”