Donald Trump rejected a proposal from Benjamin Netanyahu to jointly call for
Iranian public protests, citing risks of mass casualties, according to U.S. and
Israeli sources. Trump said, “Why the hell should we tell people to take to the
streets when they'll just get mowed down.” Netanyahu argued recent Israeli
strikes, including killings of senior Iranian officials, created an अवसर for
unrest. Few protests followed. U.S. officials said Trump views regime change as
a “bonus,” while Netanyahu prioritizes fostering an uprising. Israeli Ambassador
Yechiel Leiter said degrading the regime could enable Iranians to “take charge
of their own lives.”
