Airstrikes have targeted organizations responsible for suppressing protests and cracking down on separatists; analysts are skeptical the strategy will work
TEL AVIV—Israel’s military is targeting the Iranian police state that brutally suppressed protests and killed thousands of people, with the hope of clearing the way for a popular revolt to overthrow the Islamic government.
Israeli airstrikes have targeted people responsible for internal security, from members of the Basij paramilitary force to senior intelligence officials, the Israeli military said. The U.S. has also hit some domestic-security agencies, including the Tehran headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the powerful group responsible for defending and perpetuating the regime.
The Revolutionary Guard and Basij militants were the main perpetrators of the bloody crackdown against antigovernment protesters in January. They opened fire on crowds, killing thousands in one of the deadliest acts of political crackdowns worldwide in decades. Police units and intelligence services also suppressed rallies and arrested protesters en masse.
