Iran sees US economic pressure as a domestic security risk, prompting a harder
posture. Deepening economic despair after December’s currency crisis raises the
risk of renewed anti-government protests; Tehran fears Israel could exploit
unrest to back dissidents or armed uprisings, and Israeli leaders have hinted at
that possibility. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week:
“There is more work to be done. First and foremost is overthrowing the regime.
The end of this Iranian regime is near.” Iranian officials, unwilling to wait
for Israeli action, may feel compelled to change the situation — potentially via
more destructive or aggressive measures that would raise regional tensions, a
Tehran University Middle East scholar said.
