Latest news with #regimechange
The Sun
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
I spent 31 years advising US on the Iran threat – it's the last gaps of a dying regime, Trump's next move is crucial
IRAN'S repressed nation should be encouraged to overthrow its barbaric regime by the US, an ex-Congress adviser said. Calls for regime overhaul in the rogue nation have rumbled louder since a 12-day war broke out between Israel and Iran erupted. 7 7 7 Donald Trump unleashed the biggest blow of the conflict last Sunday when he ordered America's military to bomb Iran's nuclear sites. The US leader even hinted at toppling the regime as he wrote on Truth Social: "If the current Iranian regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a regime change? MIGA!". Authorities in the US insisted ousting the Ayatollah was not one of its goals - but question marks hang over whether his cruel regime can survive. Supreme leader Ali Khamenei has led a blood-soaked reign over Iran since 1989 following the death of his ruthless predecessor Ruhollah Khomeini. But the chorus of voices demanding regime change in Iran has amplified after decades of its people suffering a catalogue of human rights violations. Fears have also escalated that the wounded regime could deploy a dirty bomb in desperation after its nuclear ambitions were largely obliterated by the US and Israel. Kenneth Katzman, who spent 31 years briefing Congress on Iran as a top Middle East Analyst, believes the US should now take little action - except incentivise life under a new regime. Merciless Khamenei, 86, has been in hiding since Israel began a campaign to destroy his nuclear sites - and many senior figures believe his rule could be on its last legs. Katzman told The Sun: "These are the last gasps of a dying regime. "It's still in control nominally but I personally believe this regime is basically lost. Only the real diehards right now are behind this regime. "That doesn't mean it's going to collapse any day now, but it will eventually. This regime is in big trouble." Katzman, who retired in 2022 but has continued to watch Iran cut a menacing figure, said if it was still advise Congress to now "do as little as possible". The analyst, who worked at the US Congressional Research Service, added: "There is a war fever going on now, with a lot of piling on and dredging up past incidents with Iran, past grievances. 'If it were up to me I would say to send some kind of signal that if there is a new regime, the US is willing to lift sanctions, provide humanitarian aid, welcome defectors and investment from Iran. 'Signalling that if the people can get rid of this regime they can have the same future that Syria is now experiencing, where they got rid of a dictator and have had sanctions lifted. 'That would be the tone I would take. The regime can be toppled very suddenly, although it's not toppling just yet. 'If you take it from the Iranian people's perspective, there's no prospect of getting sanctions relief, they're in a war with Israel with no air defense. Evil Ayatollah could unleash dirty bomb, exiled prince warns Exclusive by Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital), in Paris IRAN'S brutal regime could kill tens of millions of people by smuggling nuclear material and unleashing it on Europe, the rogue nation's exiled prince told The Sun. Reza Pahlavi warned while the US and Israel have eliminated the "immediate threat" of its atomic ambitions, barbaric leaders could still acquire a dirty bomb. Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, warned callous Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could still attempt to utilise his warped allies in a bid to get his hands on nuclear matter. Speaking to The Sun at an undisclosed location in Paris just hours before the ceasefire this week, he said: "Terrorism has many means of hurting big time. Nobody anticipated 9/11. It was a terrorist attack. "What keeps people not to worry about the fact that the call of these terrorist networks of sleeper cells could smuggle in a few grams of enriched plutonium, throw it in a lake in Europe, and instantaneously kill tens of millions of people who will be radioactively attacked. "You don't need a missile or warhead for that. "We have at least eliminated the imminent threat of the regime. Does that mean that the regime still doesn't have the capability to acquire nuclear weapons or a dirty bomb by purchasing it from the North Koreans? "It doesn't eliminate that, that's the entire point." Pahlavi, whose family was forced to leave Iran after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, warned unless the Islamist regime is toppled, the threat of nuclear material being weaponised looms large. The self-styled crown prince - who has been advocating for regime change for decades - announced on Monday he is offering to lead a transitional government to make Iran a democratic, secular country. 'The regime has now brought them into a war with the United States, although that may not continue. I think the people can only take so much.' Last week the US bombed nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan after Iran's devastating missile exchange with Israel. President Donald Trump has since announced a precarious ceasefire, but the world continues to nervously await what happens next. While Iran is currently in a ceasefire with Israel, fears continue to grow as to how long this will last. Trump was this week hailed a 'daddy' by Nato chief Mark Rutte at a landmark meeting in the Netherlands. Iran also finally admitted the US strikes had left their nuclear facilities 'badly damaged'. But it came after Trump made the astonishing claim on Tuesday that Israel and Iran 'don't know what the f*** they're doing' following doubts the agreement had been kept. Katzman believes Iran is very far away from developing a nuclear weapon. And even if it did get one, it would be extremely difficult for it to ever threaten a launch given US and Israeli intelligence. He added: 'I think US intelligence is good enough to detect if they were actually going to try to use a nuclear weapon. 'You need a lot of steps to do that. It's not that easy to conceal, especially with the Mossad agents crawling all over the place as they are right now. 'There are radioactivity detectors. There's a lot of intelligence gathering going on. 'So I don't think it would be that easy for them to just go from where they are now with these destroyed facilities to suddenly producing a nuclear weapon. 'I could be wrong, but I don't think it's that easy.' Asked how the Iranian people could conceivably overthrow the regime, Katzman said he doesn't expect anything to happen soon. 7 7 7 He believes the conflict must settle first. Katzman added: 'It can be toppled. Is it close to being toppled? No, but it can be. 'Anything can really spark it. We had a partial prison break at Evin Prison. 'You can get incidents. I hear the IRGC is already cracking down by stopping every car that goes by to see if there are Mossad agents in there. 'They're sort of doubling down on their strategy in a way. That can work for a while, but the population is pretty fed up. 'Obviously the population has to get through this crisis first and then it can reassess what to do about the regime. 'So it's not going to do anything right now while the conflict is going on, but ultimately though, there's going to be a reckoning.' On Wednesday Nato leaders pledged to increase their annual defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035. Trump also said he no longer believes the organisation is a 'rip-off'.
Arab News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
'Waiting for others': Belarusians hope for more prisoner releases
WARSAW: Belarusian exile Asya watched from the sidelines in central Warsaw as a crowd greeted and applauded Sergei Tikhanovsky, the Belarus opposition figure who was unexpectedly released, barely recognizable after five years in prison. A popular blogger, Tikhanovsky, 46, was jailed in 2020, weeks before he was due to stand in presidential elections against Belarus's long-time leader, Alexander Lukashenko. His arrest was the opening salvo in a sweeping crackdown that escalated after Lukashenko claimed victory over Svetlana Tikhanovskaya — Tikhanovsky's wife, who ran in his place — in a ballot widely decried by critics and rights groups as rigged. Asya was among several hundred fellow Belarusians, living in exile in neighboring Poland, celebrating his surprise release under pressure from the United States. But her mind was with others still incarcerated. 'I am happy for those who are freed, but with each release I always look for the names of my friends,' she said. There are 1,169 political prisoners in Belarus, according to the Viasna rights group. The sight of Tikhanovsky — who lost almost half his weight and appeared to have drastically aged behind bars — has given even more urgency to securing their release, Asya said. 'Honestly, regime change is needed. But for me, the priority is for people to be freed and for them to be safe,' she said. Having been held incommunicado since March 2023, many had long feared for how Tikhanovsky was being treated. His emaciated appearance was still a shock. 'I cried all day when I saw him,' said Alexandra Khanevich, a 71-year-old activist who fled Belarus in the wake of the protests. 'My mother went through concentration camps... This is what I thought of.' Tikhanovskaya said the couple's young daughter did not recognize him. The bones on his face and fingers are visible, and the 46-year-old looks far older. 'Only when we heard his voice, we knew it was really him,' said Yulia Vlasenko, who had protested in 2020 against Lukashenko in the eastern city of Vitebsk. Others said they knew him by his distinctive ears. Tikhanovsky has broken down in tears several times when talking about his ordeal in prison, describing alleged torture and being held in solitary confinement. Prison officials had attempted to 'fatten him up' in the months before his release by giving him 'meat, fats, butter,' he told a rally in Warsaw. He believes there will be more releases. Officers from the KGB state security service — which has retained the feared Soviet-era name — were touring prisons pressuring people to sign statements asking for pardons from Lukashenko, he said. Many were hopeful his release could give a new energy to the mostly exiled Belarusian opposition movement. Tikhanovsky, who has pledged not to get in the way of his wife, said he has 'even more energy' than before he was jailed. The couple are radically different in style. Svetlana has spent five years touring Western capitals, meeting leaders in polished suits. Sergei is known for his tongue-in-cheek colloquialisms, having famously called Lukashenko a 'cockroach' in one YouTube broadcast. 'Svetlana is more of a diplomat... Sergei is like from the street,' said protester Alexandra Dobrovaya, giggling. Vitaly Moisa, a 42-year-old in construction, said he hoped the pair would be a 'double hit' for the regime, with the opposition boosted by Tikhanovsky's 'charisma.' He drove more than six hours from southern Poland to see 'hero' Tikhanovsky. 'It's hard to imagine he was not broken by such conditions,' he said. Many came to the rally with masks on, fearing retribution for their families back home if they were recognized attending the rally. Ukrainian Oleg Abrashim — who has never been to Belarus — had come with a mission: to give Tikhanovsky a hand-written letter from his Belarusian girlfriend. 'She did not want to come as it will be full of the KGB and she has not got her parents out yet,' he told AFP. Listening to Tikhanovsky, he was reminded of the style of someone back home he had voted for in 2019: Volodymyr Zelensky. 'I understand why they followed him,' Abrashim said. From Ukraine's Kharkiv, which has been pounded relentlessly by Belarus's ally Russia since it invaded, he was inspired by the messages of hope. 'Belarus and Ukraine should be free,' he said, clutching the letter.
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Why every word counts: Language shapes our understanding of Trump's Iran strikes
In the aftermath of the recent U.S. military strikes on Iran, one truth stands out above all: language is not just a means of communication—it is the lens through which we interpret, react to, and ultimately shape our world. In moments of crisis, every word matters. The headlines, the statements from leaders, the hashtags trending on social media—they don't just describe what's happening. They define it. They decide what we fear, what we hope for, and what we demand next. Is This a War? Or Something Else Entirely? The first question we must confront is deceptively simple: what do we call this? Is it a war, a conflict, a targeted operation, or something else? This isn't just semantics. The words we choose set the boundaries of our expectations and anxieties. When Vice President JD Vance says, "We're not at war with Iran, we're at war with Iran's nuclear program," he's not just splitting hairs—he's shaping the public's sense of scale and stakes. The rest of Trump administration echoed this, insisting the aim was to destroy Iran's nuclear program, not to start a wider war. But every time the word "war" is used, it plants a seed of uncertainty: How long will this last? What are we truly bracing for? Regime Change: The Power of a Phrase Language also shapes the perceived scope and intent of military action. The phrase "regime change" is loaded with history and consequences. Even when leaders insist on limited objectives, every mention of regime change conjures memories of endless conflict and nation-building. President Trump, aware of this, tried to put the idea to rest at a recent NATO press conference: "No, I don't want it. I'd like to see everything calm down as quickly as possible. Regime change takes chaos. And, ideally, we don't want to see so much chaos." Words don't just describe reality—they create it. In moments of crisis, language is not just a reflection of reality—it is a force that shapes it. The words we choose, the narratives we construct, and the labels we apply, determine not just how we understand the present, but how we imagine the future. Divergent Voices: The Republican and Democratic Lexicon The political response in the United States has been a study in contrasts, each side wielding language as both shield and sword. Republican leaders frame the strikes as a necessary response to a clear and present danger, invoking "national security," "imminent threat," and "preventing nuclear proliferation." Sen. Tom Cotton's assertion that Iran has "waged a war of terror against the United States" isn't just a statement—it's a signal, shaping public perception and policy direction. Yet, even within the Republican camp, dissenting voices like Representative Thomas Massie and others use language to question the constitutionality and wisdom of escalation, drawing a line between "warmongers and peacemakers." Democratic leaders, meanwhile, focus on the risks of escalation, the lack of congressional authorization, and the safety of American troops. Words like "misled," "impeachable offense," and "grossly unconstitutional" aren't just critiques—they're calls to action, shaping the debate over legitimacy and consequence. Iran's Response: Words as Weapons Iran's leaders, too, understand the power of language. Their vows of "retaliation," warnings of "serious consequences," and statements about being prepared for a conflict that could last "up to two years" are not just rhetoric—they are strategic moves in the information war. Every word is chosen to signal resolve, to deter adversaries, and to rally domestic and international support. Ceasefire, "Success," and the Unwritten Future In the aftermath of the strikes, the language of victory and restraint has taken center stage. The administration's declaration of "spectacular military success" and talk of "total obliteration" are not just boasts—they are meant to signal finality, to draw a line under the crisis. "They won't do it again. I think they've had it," President Trump asserted, using the language of deterrence and closure. These words are designed to reassure the public and project strength, but they also risk oversimplifying a complex reality. Yet, even as the rhetoric of triumph fills the airwaves, there is a subtle shift toward the language of possibility. "No permanent enemies"—a phrase that hints at the potential for a future relationship with Iran—suggests that today's adversaries need not be tomorrow's. The ceasefire, described as "very much in effect," is framed not as a fragile pause, but as a durable new status quo: "I think we are going to keep it there for a long time." Here, language is used to create a sense of stability, to encourage markets and publics alike to exhale. But beneath these declarations lies an unspoken question: What comes next? The words chosen in this moment—about victory, deterrence, and the possibility of peace—will shape not only how this episode is remembered, but also the contours of whatever comes after. In the end, the language of ceasefire is not just about ending violence; it is about opening the door to new possibilities, and perhaps, to a different kind of future. The Power of a Reframe Critics and leakers are already reframing the conversation. A recently leaked report questions the administration's claims of success, stating that we "only set back Iran's nuclear capability by months." This "low confidence" study is now at the center of the debate. Not whether we should have acted. Not if the ceasefire is real. But just how far we set back Iran. That is the power of language and a reframe—it changes the debate and how we view the world and the events around us. Wall Street Listens: The Language of Markets Nowhere is the power of language more immediate than in the financial markets. Every mention of the "Strait of Hormuz," every threat of "retaliation," every reference to "nuclear escalation" or "regime change" sends ripples through global markets. Investors parse every statement for clues about escalation or de-escalation, knowing that words can move oil prices, stock indices, and the fate of economies. Conversely, words like "de-escalation," "diplomacy," "restraint," and "dialogue" offer hope for stability and calm. The language of peace is as powerful as the language of war—if not more so. The Long View: Why Every Word Matters In moments of crisis, language is not just a reflection of reality—it is a force that shapes it. The words we choose, the narratives we construct, and the labels we apply, determine not just how we understand the present, but how we imagine the future. As we watch events unfold in Iran, let us remember: every word matters. Not just to policymakers and pundits, but to all of us—citizens, investors, and global citizens—trying to make sense of a rapidly changing world. In the end, the language we use will help determine whether we move toward conflict or cooperation, escalation or peace. In a world where every word can tip the balance, let us choose them wisely.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Amid Attacks, Iran's Exiled Opposition Remained Divided. Who Are They?
After 12 days of devastating Israeli attacks, the stability of Iran's government is a subject of intense debate. And some in Israel and the United States have pressed not just for the destruction of Iran's nuclear program but also for 'regime change.' Overthrowing the government in Iran has been a goal of some in the Iranian diaspora too, ever since the 1979 revolution that disposed the shah and replaced the monarchy with a theocratic Islamic Republic. The war has amplified a range of voices in the opposition abroad, which has a history of infighting as well as organized online harassment of journalists, academics and others that has escalated at times into threats of physical violence. Here are a few of the overseas voices opposed to the Islamic Republic — and how they have responded to the conflict. Decentralized activist groups Iranians in the diaspora who oppose the Islamic Republic include exiled leftists, nationalists, secular democrats, former prisoners, journalists, human rights advocates and artists. This loose network lacks organizational structure, according to Taghi Rahmani, a prominent dissident who lives in Paris. But he said it has been effective in calling attention to human rights abuses in Iran with protests around the world, and voicing the demands of ordinary Iranians seeking change. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Iranian citizens hoping for regime change conflicted amid war
The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran is still holding , but Iran's supreme leader remains hidden in a bunker, fearing assassination. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has gone to ground, issuing no public statements. The conflict has left some citzens, who had hoped for regime change, conflicted. Sahar Zand, a British-Iranian journalist who spent the first 12 years of her life in Iran, before fleeing with her mother to avoid political persecution, spoke to Lisa Owen. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
