A senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel is approaching a point where military and economic pressure could create conditions for political change in Iran, although he stressed that the country’s future must ultimately be decided by its people.
Ophir Falk, Netanyahu’s foreign policy adviser, told The Jerusalem Post in an interview published on Thursday that Israel’s campaign against Tehran was creating opportunities for Iranians to challenge their government.
“I think we’re very close to creating those conditions,” Falk said when asked whether mounting pressure could bring about a change in Iran’s leadership.
“Those conditions are being created as we speak right now,” he added.
Falk argued that Israeli military operations, combined with US-led economic restrictions, had significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities and regional influence.
He cited strikes targeting senior Iranian officials, nuclear scientists, missile systems, launch facilities and weapons production infrastructure as evidence of the damage inflicted during the conflict.
The adviser also described the US-led economic blockade against Iran as successful, although he acknowledged that financial pressure would require time to produce broader political consequences.
According to Falk, the combined impact of military operations and economic restrictions could provide Iranian citizens with an opportunity to challenge the country’s ruling establishment.
However, he emphasised that Israel could not determine the outcome of any political transition.
“Regime change in Iran is up to the Iranian people,” he said.
Falk also acknowledged the risks facing Iranians who might participate in demonstrations against the government, referring to the authorities’ history of suppressing protests.
Despite his assessment, the Israeli official provided no timetable for a possible political transition and did not specify whether Israel or the United States intended to offer additional assistance to Iranian opposition movements.
His remarks come amid continuing tensions following the US-Israeli military campaign launched against Iran in February, which triggered Iranian retaliatory strikes across the region.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu said he was not seeking a preemptive attack against Iran ahead of Israel’s October 27 election, while warning that Israel would respond forcefully to any renewed Iranian aggression.
