Journalist and International Affairs Commentator, Tom Gross, joined AnewZ from Tel Aviv to tell us why he thinks the attack happened now and whether this could mark the beginning of the end for the Iranian leadership.
Gross said there were “two interests” behind the strikes. The first, he said, is “a defensive, a pre-emptive defensive attack by Israel and the U.S. to prevent the Iranians from being in a position where they pose a really serious threat, eventually a nuclear threat, to Israel, the U.S., and European allies”.
The second, he said, is that Trump is “honouring his promise to the Iranian people in January”, when the U.S. president said that “if you protest against the regime, we’ll have your back”. Gross added that Trump “essentially said, America will be with you”.
The central question now, Gross told AnewZ, is “what will the Iranian people do?”
Gross said the issue is whether this is “just a military strike” or “some kind of plan for the Iranian protesters to attempt to seize power” and prompt a leadership change.
Gross outlined three main possibilities. The first, he said, would be a short operation lasting only “a few hours”, after which Washington “will pose again the question to the Iranian regime, this is your chance, negotiate properly”, telling Tehran to address its nuclear and missile programmes before the campaign stops.
The second possibility is a longer effort, “until the regime in Iran crumbles”, depending on Tehran’s reaction and internal stability. While the third possibility, which Gross compared to a Venezuela-style shift, involves someone inside Iran’s power structure moving to redirect the country away from confrontation. He said the U.S. could accept such a figure if it changed course, noting Trump would “probably be OK with that”.
He said “there will not be any ground troops” and that the outcome “will be up to the Iranian people”. Gross added that “up to one-third of American naval forces are essentially surrounding Iran”, underscoring the pressure behind these scenarios.
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Amid fragile calm, António Guterres urged constructive U.S.- Iran talks, while Pope Leo XIV warned violence is spreading. Lebanon's President said an Israeli strike killed 13 security personnel in Nabatieh.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei has declared a “decisive victory” over the U.S. and Israel, signalling a “new phase” in Tehran’s control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Caricatures of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are on display in a metro station in downtown Tehran. The cartoons mock the two leaders for what Tehran says is their failure in waging a war on Iran.
The U.S. and Iran are meeting in Pakistan under a fragile ceasefire but remain deeply divided over Tehran’s nuclear programme, sanctions and regional security. With fighting in Lebanon escalating, the talks face mounting pressure.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has given an instruction for Israel to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarming of Hezbollah.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to continue dialogue and avoid steps that could worsen tensions after China-hosted talks in Urumqi, with Kabul and Beijing saying the meetings focused on easing differences and improving relations.
Amid fragile calm, António Guterres urged constructive U.S.- Iran talks, while Pope Leo XIV warned violence is spreading. Lebanon's President said an Israeli strike killed 13 security personnel in Nabatieh.
Memorial events were held in Tehran’s main squares on Wednesday (8 April) to mark the 40th day since the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died during U.S.-Israeli attacks on 28 February.
Dubai has restricted foreign airlines to one daily flight to its airports until 31 May due to the Iran crisis, raising fears of significant revenue losses for Indian carriers, industry letters show.
Afghanistan’s foreign ministry says the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged continued cooperation after talks in Kabul on aid coordination, bilateral ties and job creation.
Uzbekistan is advancing plans to reduce the state’s role in the economy while introducing a VAT refund system for foreign visitors, as part of broader efforts to attract investment and boost tourism.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the president of Kazakhstan, said on Friday (10 April) that a parliamentary election in the Central Asian country would take place in August but stopped short of naming an exact date.
Lebanon is sliding deeper into a food security crisis as ongoing regional conflict disrupts supply routes and drives up the cost of basic goods, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.
Thousands of Palestinians returned to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem after Israel lifted a 40-day ban that had left one of Islam’s holiest sites largely closed.
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