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The latest wave of Israeli military airstrikes in Iran dealt a serious blow to the country’s brutal internal security apparatus, opening the door to a possible rebellion.
“During the strikes, Israel dropped dozens of munitions on Basij and internal security command centers, which are under the control of the Iranian terrorist regime,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Wednesday. “The targeted command centers were used by the Iranian regime to maintain control throughout Iran and maintain the regime’s situational assessment.”
Since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, the US has struck nearly 2,000 targets in a wide-ranging military campaign aimed at destroying the regime’s security apparatus and neutralizing threats. Admiral Brad Cooper of US Central Command confirmed the number of targets hit in a video message.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s volunteer paramilitary force Basij militia were behind the violent crackdown on protesters in January. In a bloody crackdown, regime forces fired into crowds and made mass arrests of Iranian protesters. The protests were seen by some as a sign that regime change in Iran was approaching, although this did not occur.
Smoke rises from central Tehran following reported US and Israeli attacks on the Iranian capital on March 3, 2026. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Israeli and US officials have hinted at the possibility of regime change in Iran as both countries target Tehran’s military and security sites.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message announcing the launch of Operation Epic Fury, which Israel calls Operation Rising Lion, that it is time for Iranians to “get rid of the yoke of tyranny.” Similarly, President Donald Trump said in a message to the Iranian people on February 28 that “the time for your freedom is at hand.”
“When we’re finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take over. This may be your only chance for generations,” Trump said.
A plume of smoke rises after reported explosions in Tehran on March 3, 2026, after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in joint US and Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026. (NEGAR/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
Israeli minister outlines goals of Iran mission, says Iranian people now have chance to ‘regain their freedom’
The President said, “America is supporting you with overwhelming force and devastating power. Now is the time for you to take control of your destiny and unleash the rich and glorious future that is within your reach. This is the time for action. Don’t let it slip.”
Ali Waze, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, told The Wall Street Journal that the path to regime change through foreign airstrikes and popular uprising on the ground is “a gambit that is not based on any clear historical model.” Waze also warned that this idea “ignores the resilience of strong authoritarian systems like the Islamic Republic.”
The IDF said on Monday that Israel had attacked headquarters, bases and regional command centers belonging to the regime’s internal security apparatus.
“These bodies were responsible for suppressing protests against the regime through, among other things, violent measures and civilian arrests,” the IDF said.
A group of people inspect the ruins of a police station amid the US-Israeli military operation in Tehran, Iran, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Vahid Salemi/AP)
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It is unclear who will lead Iran after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the operation. Since then, Israel and the US have made it clear that the regime leader chosen to replace him will be under attack. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Wednesday that anyone chosen to replace Khamenei would be considered a “target of elimination” if they continued to threaten Israel, the US and regional allies.
The WSJ reported that the assassination of key leaders may not be enough to spark an uprising, as the regime has a monopoly on weapons in much of Iran, with Basij militants still patrolling the streets.
Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips and Efrat Lacher contributed to this report.
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