Axios: Trump rejected Netanyahu plan to urge Iranians to protest

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to publicly encourage Iranians to take to the streets against their government last week, but US President Donald Trump opposed the idea, warning it could lead to mass casualties, according to US and Israeli sources, cited by Axios.

During a phone call, Trump pushed back on Netanyahu’s proposal for a coordinated appeal to the Iranian public. "Why the hell should we tell people to take to the streets when they'll just get mowed down," Trump said, according to a US official familiar with the conversation.

The exchange highlighted a growing divergence between Washington and Tel Aviv over the question of regime change in Iran. While both sides largely align on military objectives, Netanyahu views creating conditions for a popular uprising as a central goal, whereas US officials describe Trump’s position as more cautious, seeing regime change as a potential outcome rather than a primary objective.

The discussion came shortly after Israeli strikes that killed senior Iranian figures, including Ali Larijani, identified as Iran’s national security chief and de facto acting leader, and Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij militia. Israeli officials said the killing of Soleimani was intended to weaken the regime’s ability to suppress protests and potentially open space for unrest.

In the hours following the strikes, Netanyahu told Trump the Iranian leadership appeared to be in disarray and argued there was a window to further destabilize the system. He proposed that both leaders jointly call on Iranians to protest, but Trump rejected the idea, citing the risk of a violent crackdown. Thousands of protesters had been killed in Iran prior to the war, reinforcing those concerns.

Instead, both sides agreed to wait and see whether people would take to the streets during the annual Festival of Fire. Netanyahu later issued a public message on his own, saying: "Our aircraft are striking terrorist operatives on the ground, on roads and in public squares. This is meant to allow the brave Iranian people to celebrate the Festival of Fire. So go out and celebrate...we are watching from above," he said, speaking from air force headquarters.

However, turnout was minimal, which US and Israeli officials attributed to widespread fear of the regime’s response.

Days later, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, said the strategy remains focused on weakening the Iranian government to the point where it can no longer suppress opposition. "Hopefully that would trigger that combustion point where the people are able to take charge of their own lives... I think we can degrade this regime to the point the it collapses from the air. The boots on the ground have to be Iranian boots," he said.

By Tamilla Hasanova