GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War Day 618

Regime Change Coming?

Even Better Than Expected

While Iran is getting rockets through into Israel and seeing casualties and we know that the Iranian have a lot more ballistic missiles they haven’t used this battle is far from an even one as we’re told in a report from World Israel News:

A senior Israeli intelligence official told the Fox News US TV network that Iran still has around 2,000 ballistic missiles.

But the IDF also has more in the proverbial tank and they intend to set back Iran longer than a short amount of time:

The official said, “We have more surprises on the way — not just what has already been done. We cannot end this operation knowing we’ll be in the same situation two years from now. Everything is progressing according to plan — and in fact, even better than expected.”

The official added that Israel’s military operation against Iran has been “a historic achievement.”

The amount of time this war will take is not totally known but one source seems to think it will not go weeks as we’ve heard:

When asked about the timetable for operations, the official said Israel’s military goals could be achieved within a few days. I believe we can finish this in a matter of days. It’s a good thing the United States is standing with us,” he said.

Prime Minister Netanyahu stated how the attack is going:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video on Saturday describing the urgency of the strike. We were at the 90th minute. Iran’s nuclear teams were in haste to develop atomic bombs to destroy Israel. Some critics claim we haven’t achieved results in this operation — they’re wrong. We inflicted major damage on Iran’s central enrichment site, hit the conversion facility essential to producing nuclear bombs, and struck the lead team of scientists driving these projects.”

And what we know backs that up:

Since Friday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), in coordination with the Mossad intelligence agency, launched a large-scale aerial assault dubbed “Operation Rising Lion,” targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, military infrastructure, and key personnel.

Israeli airstrikes crippled Iran’s anti-aircraft system allowing the Israel Air Force to inflict substantial damage to Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility, including power substations and above-ground structures.

Take into account that Iran’s leaders are dropping like flies and strategic sites are also destroyed:

The operation also eliminated two dozen senior Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leaders Gen. Hossein Salami, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, and Gen. Mohammad Bagheri.

Israeli strikes targeted and reportedly dismantled the Tabriz airbase, destroyed dozens of Iranian drones and missile launchers, and struck multiple military sites, including the Hamadan and Parchin airbases.

Is Regime Change Coming?

A question I continue to get is whether overthrowing the current regime is part of this operation. I said initially that I didn’t think it was high on the list if at all. I’m changing my stance the longer this war goes on though. And one reason I am is that slowly news is getting out from Iranians that they are cheering on the attacks they see and with graffiti on walls that says, “We're smelling the toppling of the regime.” And videos are seen where party goers with opponents of the their leadership are celebrating as they see the Israeli attacks. Netanyahu in his initial speech made it clear that they aren’t targeting the people or Iran and actually said now is the time to rise up against the Iranian regime:

"So too do the brave people of Iran. And I have a message for them: our fight is not with you. Our fight is with the brutal dictatorship that has oppressed you for 46 years. I believe that the day of your liberation is near," he even predicted. "And when that happens, the great friendship between our two ancient peoples will flourish once again."

Another sign of hope is that Elon Musk of all people is helping citizens communicate after the government blocked internet access a we see in an article from The Jerusalem Post:

Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, confirmed Saturday he turned on Starlink for Iranians after the Islamic regime limited its online services following the launch of Israeli attacks targeting Iranian nuclear facilities.

Starlink, a satellite-based constellation made by SpaceX that gives people internet, especially in places where regular internet is hard to get. The satellites fly close to Earth and help provide fast internet with little delay.

Musk says he did this help the ordinary people in Iran:

Musk's decision to activate Starlink in Iran comes after the Islamic Republic's Communications Ministry announced temporary limits and disruptions to internet service nationwide.

Iran’s government justifies the restriction because of the Israeli attacks, but few trust that is the real reason:

"In view of the special conditions of the country, temporary restrictions have been imposed on the country's internet," a statement from the ministry read.

As I mentioned earlier, the PM isn’t attacking civilians in Iran:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the Iranian people to stand up to the Islamic Republic in an address on Friday evening.

"Israel's fight is not against the Iranian people. Our fight is against the murderous Islamic regime that oppresses and impoverishes you," Netanyahu said.

An unexpected source spoke out for regime change and aimed it at the military and security services in Iran:

In addition, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last monarch, issued a sharply worded message on Friday calling on Iranian military and security forces to abandon the Islamic Republic and join a popular movement to reclaim the country.

In a post written in Persian and shared across his official social media platforms, Pahlavi accused Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of forcing the Iranian people into a war that does not represent their will.

We shall see if that happens, but if reports of current political leaders and their families getting out of dodge and flying to Russia is true, it could happen. We shall see.