An Israeli minister has revealed that the country is cooperating with opponents of Iran’s government, fuelling speculation that its military campaign targeting the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme may also have broader political aims.
Amihai Eliyahu, Israel’s Heritage Minister and a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, suggested in an interview on Monday that Israel has been working alongside Iranian dissidents opposed to the rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“The fact that we are cooperating with the opposition in Iran today is a blessing,” Eliyahu told the Israeli news channel i24. When pressed for further details on the nature of this cooperation, he declined to elaborate, saying, “I don’t want to get into details.”
Responding to questions about Eliyahu’s remarks, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer insisted that regime change in Iran was not Israel’s objective.
“If a byproduct is the Iranian people shaking off the shackles of this oppressive regime that has oppressed the Iranian people for the past 46 or 47 years, then that would be a welcome objective, although it is not a war aim for the state of Israel,” he said.
Since launching its unprovoked campaign against Iran on June 13, Israeli officials have repeatedly emphasised that their primary goal is to dismantle Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities rather than overthrow its leadership.
However, recent strikes have sparked renewed speculation about Israel’s broader intentions. On Monday, Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed attacks on Evin prison and other domestic security agencies in Tehran, calling the targets “agencies of government repression.” Evin Prison is notorious for holding political prisoners and opponents of the regime.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated on Saturday that Israel had not “defined regime change” as an official objective of its current military operation.
In contrast, US President Donald Trump has openly suggested the possibility of toppling Iran’s leadership. Posting on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump wrote, “If the current Iranian regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a regime change???”
