Trump Rejected Netanyahu's Plan to Stir Up Protests in Iran — Axios
U.S. President Donald Trump has come out strongly against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to call on the Iranian people to stage mass protests against the current regime.
This was reported by Axios.
The American leader justified his refusal by citing a desire to avoid causing unnecessary civilian casualties, which local authorities could brutally suppress.
During a private conversation, Trump expressed doubt about the wisdom of such calls, given the tragic history of previous Iranian uprisings.
“Why the hell should we tell people to take to the streets if they’re just going to get mowed down?” the U.S. president emotionally told his Israeli counterpart.
This discussion highlighted a significant difference in Washington’s and Jerusalem’s approaches to the future of the Iranian regime.
For Israel, a popular uprising is one of the top priorities, while the White House views regime change merely as a possible “bonus” rather than the main objective of the current campaign.
Netanyahu proposed the idea of destabilization following the successful elimination of key Iranian security figures—National Security Chief Ali Larijani and Basij Militia Commander Gholamreza Soleimani.
The Israeli side believes that the deaths of those responsible for suppressing the protests create an ideal window of opportunity for a revolution.
The U.S. president reminded the Israeli prime minister that thousands of Iranian activists had already been killed by security forces even before the start of a full-scale military conflict.
Trump is concerned that a public call from the U.S. would only put people in the line of fire without guaranteeing the success of the uprising.
According to reports from U.S. officials, the U.S. leader prefers to act more cautiously to prevent an increase in casualties.
He emphasized that the Iranian regime is indeed in chaos, but this is no reason for irresponsible calls to the unprotected population.
As a reminder, Israel struck a key Iranian facility.
Israel is also considering purchasing Greek islands as a refuge for the Jewish people.
