Israel Urges Iranians to Overthrow the Regime — Could the Same Happen in Russia?
фотоколаж: facebook Служба зовнішньої розвідки України
Source: Valeriy Pekar’s Facebook page
Why is the Israeli leadership calling on the Iranian people to overthrow their regime, while Ukrainian leaders refrain from making a similar appeal to the Russian population? This contrast raises important questions about the differing strategies and geopolitical considerations behind these statements.
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First, because there is no one to turn to. A significant portion of Iranians hate the regime, and the older generation still remembers pre-revolutionary times. Meanwhile, Russians mostly view their regime as an unchanging part of the landscape: it has always been, is, and will be that way. They have nothing to compare it to, even though the Ayatollah’s regime is twenty years older than Putin’s.
I don’t know if there are organized movements in Iran, but from time to time there are riots. Such riots have never occurred in Russia; the very idea of them is strange to Russians. The openly expressed moral resistance in Russia numbers in the tens of thousands (a small fraction of the country), while in Iran it reaches millions, with a comparable number of victims.
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Secondly, the idea of regime change in Iran is supported by the US, Europe, and neighboring countries. At the same time, the idea of regime change in the Russian Federation is opposed by the US and Europe, and neighboring countries are not ready for it either.
The reasons for this situation have been described in detail many times, but that does not make them any more logical. Both countries possess nuclear weapons. Both have valuable natural resources. They are led by dangerous dictators threatening the world. In both cases, Chinese influence looms on the horizon. Both have large populations (and I am sure the difference is much less than one and a half times). Why, then, is regime change in Iran desired, while even thinking about the same in the Russian Federation is forbidden?
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Thirdly, Israel is simply not afraid to openly support anti-regime forces, sentiments, and prospects in Iran. Ukraine, however, fears openly supporting anti-regime forces — not those who want to replace Putin, but those who seek to dismantle the empire, namely national liberation and regionalist movements. For an entire year, a draft law on the foundations of state policy in this area has been stalled in the Verkhovna Rada. Ukraine’s lack of a clear position prevents others from forming theirs.
Until we see victory on the horizon, we will not even begin to approach it.
As is known, on the night of Friday, June 13, Israel launched a large-scale air strike on the territory of Iran. The targets were facilities related to the Iranian nuclear program, in particular, uranium enrichment plants in Natanz and Fordow, as well as missile bases in Kermanshah and Khorramabad. Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz ,and other major cities were under attack.
An airstrike in Tehran killed more than 70 people, at least 20 of them high-ranking military personnel. According to Iranian media reports, the attacks killed key military figures in the country, including the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, Chief of General Staff Mohammad Bagheri, and nuclear physicist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi.
In response, on June 14, Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones into Israel. Explosions rang out in the skies over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and air defense systems scrambled to intercept the threat. The Israel Defense Forces urged residents to take shelter. Initial reports indicate that at least several people were killed in Israel, dozens were injured, and there was damage.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. At the same time, Trump welcomed Putin’s offer to mediate between Iran and Israel.