Trump Vetoes Netanyahu's Call for Iranians to Protest in Streets — Axios Reports

Investing.com — According to Axios, U.S. President Donald Trump rejected a joint proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call on the Iranian people to protest against their government. Two U.S. officials and an Israeli source revealed that last week, Trump told the Israeli leader that such calls are too dangerous for civilians.

An American official familiar with the call said that Trump told Netanyahu during their conversation that he opposed encouraging the public to take to the streets because they could be killed as a result.

This exchange revealed differences between the U.S. and Israel regarding regime change in Iran. While Netanyahu considers creating conditions for a popular uprising one of Israel’s core goals, U.S. officials said Trump views regime change as an additional benefit rather than a primary objective.

Netanyahu made this suggestion after Israel’s airstrike last Tuesday. The strike resulted in the deaths of Iranian National Security Council Chairman and de facto acting leader Ali Larijani, Basij militia leader Gholam Reza Suleimani, and several deputies. Israeli officials stated that killing Suleimani was aimed at creating conditions for a popular uprising because he was responsible for suppressing protests.

An American official and an Israeli source said that Netanyahu told Trump during their call that the Iranian regime is in chaos, providing an opportunity to further undermine its stability. Trump expressed concern that publicly calling for protests could lead to large-scale casualties and noted that thousands of Iranian protesters had already been killed before the war.

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