Israel had hoped to provoke mass unrest in Iran “and other forms of resistance“, which would lead to the overthrow of the government within days of the start of its operation against the Islamic Republic.
This was reported by The New York Times, citing American, Israeli and other officials.
Mossad chief David Barnea presented a plan to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that would allow Israel to quickly mobilize the Iranian opposition and provoke unrest.
Netanyahu accepted the plan and in January 2026 it was also presented to senior officials in the administration Trump.
The newspaper noted that the prediction that Israel and the United States could provoke a mass uprising in Iran was a key mistake in their preparations for a military campaign.