07.03.2026 20:22
A secret report prepared by the National Intelligence Council in the U.S. and presented to President Donald Trump allegedly revealed that even larger-scale attacks against Iran are unlikely to overthrow Iran's established military and religious leadership.
It was claimed that an intelligence report was prepared in the U.S. stating that "attacks on Iran would not be enough to overthrow the regime" and presented to U.S. President Donald Trump.
POSSIBLE SCENARIOS WERE DISCUSSED
In a report by the Washington Post (WP) based on three sources familiar with the content of the report, doubts were raised about Trump's plan to bring a pro-U.S. government to Iran.
The report, which was said to have been completed about a week before the attacks by the U.S. and Israel that began on February 28, evaluated possible scenarios following narrower or broader attacks against the Iranian leadership, including government institutions.
Individuals familiar with the findings of the report stated that the current intelligence concluded that in either case, Iran's religious and military institutions would respond by following protocols designed to maintain the continuity of power, including the assassination of Iran's religious leader Ali Khamenei.
THE POSSIBILITY OF OPPOSITION TAKING CONTROL IS "UNLIKELY"
Sources speaking about the classified report suggested that the fragmented opposition in Iran would have an "unlikely" chance of taking control of the country as a result of U.S. and Israeli attacks.
The U.S. National Intelligence Council consists of experienced analysts who coordinate high-level analyses collected by the U.S. to represent the collective wisdom of 18 intelligence agencies in Washington and produce forecasts, and it operates directly under the National Intelligence Director.
U.S.-ISRAEL ATTACKS ON IRAN
Israel and the U.S. launched a military attack on Iran on February 28 while negotiations were ongoing between the Tehran and Washington administrations. Iran responded with attacks on targets it identified in several regional countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain, where U.S. bases are located, in addition to Israel. In the U.S.-Israel attacks, many high-ranking officials, including Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were killed. Iranian Health Ministry Spokesman Hossein Kermanpur announced that 926 people lost their lives in the U.S.-Israel attacks.