Trump backed Israel’s coup plan in Iran – NYT

(SeaPRwire) –   The initiative proved unsuccessful, as Tehran maintained its resistance even after the loss of numerous high-ranking officials and military commanders.

According to a report published by the New York Times on Sunday, citing unnamed sources, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu persuaded US President Donald Trump to launch a coordinated offensive against Iran by guaranteeing that a coup would swiftly follow.

The newspaper reported that during the initial phases of the conflict, Mossad director David Barnea suggested that his agency could incite an uprising in Iran, leading to the overthrow of the government within days of the operation’s commencement. This proposal was presented by the intelligence chief to both Netanyahu and high-level American officials in January.

Although senior figures in Washington and Israel’s military intelligence branch, AMAN, questioned the feasibility of the strategy, both Trump and the Israeli prime minister adopted an “optimistic outlook,” hoping to trigger regime change through the targeted elimination of Iran’s leadership, the report stated.

The CIA had concluded that a total collapse of the Iranian administration was “relatively unlikely,” warning that the most probable outcome would be the continued grip on power by hardline factions in Tehran, the newspaper noted, referencing US officials familiar with the agency’s findings.

Since the onset of the US and Israeli offensive in late February, the US president has frequently urged the Iranian populace to rise up against their government.

Despite the deaths of several prominent Iranian officials and commanders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the state did not fall, and Tehran has persisted in its systematic retaliation against American and Israeli interests across the Middle East.

The Times reported that Netanyahu has privately “voiced frustration” regarding Mossad’s inability to execute its regime change objectives and has expressed anxiety that Trump might “end the war any day.”

For years, Iran has charged the Israeli intelligence agency with meddling in its domestic affairs.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated in January that Mossad agents were implicated in the lethal riots that swept through Iran in the winter of 2025, alleging they fired upon protesters, civilians, and security forces. He claimed they intensified the violent unrest to provide Washington with “a pretext” for military action.

Russia has denounced the US-Israeli assault on the Islamic Republic and has called upon Washington to pursue a diplomatic resolution.