David Isaac in the JC – The Iran regime’s collapse would pave the way for a stable and peaceful Middle East:
Iran has never been as vulnerable since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
With Iran’s leadership facing an emboldened Israeli military, the second coming of Donald Trump [!], internal fissures and a crisis of confidence among its people, experts say here lies a chance for regime change.
The extent of the damage to Iran’s drive for regional domination is evidenced by the remarks of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who in a speech on December 11 admonished supporters to “not become depressed, hopeless or heartbroken,” and on December 22 denied that Iran even had proxies.
Tehran has lost Hamas and Hezbollah, its major ally, Syria, and its primary air defences to Israeli airstrikes, making any Israeli attack potentially even more effective. Moreover, despite its wealth of energy resources, Iran is in the midst of an energy crisis.
“This is a golden opportunity,” Janatan Sayeh, a research analyst with the Washington-based Foundation for Defence of Democracies (FDD), told JNS on Tuesday, outlining the possibility of a one-two punch, with the US imposing economic sanctions and Israel delivering military blows. […]
The potential collapse of the Islamic Republic offers startling possibilities for Israel. Unlike Syria, in which anti-Israel Islamists have filled the vacuum, the end of the ayatollahs could herald the emergence of a pro-Israel Iran, one even more pro-Israel than under the shah, as the people of Iran are siding with Israel against the regime.
In a piece he co-wrote for FDD in early December, Sayeh revealed that “both Iranian and international pollsters consistently show that most Iranians oppose the Islamic Republic’s antisemitic and anti-Western foreign policy.”
In October 2023, students refused to chant “Death to Israel” as demanded by school administrators, instead chanting, “Death to Palestine.” Students at Tehran University refused to walk over a painted Israeli flag on the floor.
“The fall of the Islamic regime in Iran would be transformative for Israel and the region,” Rafizadeh agreed. “As the primary sponsor of terrorism and the ideological driver behind groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, the regime’s collapse would significantly reduce the threat of attacks against Israel.
“It would also pave the way for a more stable and peaceful Middle East, where Iran could potentially shift from being a destabilising force to a constructive regional actor.”
Moreover, once the Ayatollah regime falls, Iran, with its educated populace, age distribution (not weighted too young) and regular practice of elections, however limited, has a real shot at making a successful transition to democracy (with or without a constitutional monarchy). https://t.co/ZBYqbXY6Sm
— Dr. Einat Wilf (@EinatWilf) December 28, 2024
Mick Hartley 
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