JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON šC Israel¡¯s surprise attack on Iran had an obvious goal of sharply disrupting Tehran¡¯s nuclear program and lengthening the time it would need to develop an atomic weapon.
But the scale of the attacks, Israel¡¯s choice of targets, and its politicians¡¯ own words suggest another, longer-term objective: toppling the regime itself.
The strikes early on Friday hit not just Iran¡¯s nuclear facilities and missile factories but also key figures in the country¡¯s military chain of command and its nuclear scientists, blows that appear aimed at diminishing Iran¡¯s credibility both at home and among its allies in the region ¡ª factors that could destabilize the Iranian leadership, experts said.
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