US Intelligence: Iran Regime Stable Amid Strikes

The United States and Israel have been conducting military operations in Iran for nearly two weeks, targeting air defenses, nuclear sites, and senior leadership, including the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Despite these strikes, US intelligence reports consistently indicate that Iran's leadership remains largely intact and is not at risk of collapse. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and interim leaders maintain control, and Ali Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been declared the new supreme leader, signaling resistance. Donald Trump's administration has given varying reasons for the war, initially urging Iranians to take over their government but later denying regime change as the objective. Political pressure is mounting due to soaring oil costs, leading Donald Trump to suggest an end to the operation soon. However, the entrenched hardline leadership in Iran complicates finding an acceptable resolution. US intelligence also casts doubt on the ability of Iranian Kurdish militias, based in Iraq — Iraqi Kurdistan, to effectively fight Iranian security forces, despite their readiness to take up arms with US support. Donald Trump has ruled out supporting these Kurdish groups in an incursion into Iran.