Iran’s System Shaken, Not Shattered

Mar 1, 2026 | 21:58 IST

Image: AP

Israel really wanted this war. But does it, and US, have a coherent exit strategy?

The war surprised almost no one in Israel. For weeks, the slow-motion collapse of US-Iran negotiations had been visible. It was widely understood Netanyahu had been pressing Trump to use force.

Against that backdrop – and amid intensifying unrest within Iran – the belief took root in Tel Aviv that rhetoric alone would not bend Tehran’s course. The regime’s violent repression of its own citizens reinforced a broader perception that it’ll yield only to pressure. Thus, the elimination of Khamenei marks a pivotal and deeply symbolic rupture.

TOI

TOI

Iran’s System Shaken, Not Shattered

Israel really wanted this war. But does it, and US, have a coherent exit strategy?

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TOI

Iran’s System Shaken, Not Shattered

Israel really wanted this war. But does it, and US, have a coherent exit strategy?

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