Israel urges Iranians to revolt but privately assesses they'll be 'slaughtered'

"The regime killed thousands during wide-scale anti-government demonstrations earlier this year. If large numbers of Iranians return to the streets, Israeli officials say 'the people will get slaughtered' because the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran's principal military force, 'has the upper hand,' according to the cable."

"The cable, circulated by the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on Friday, relayed an Israeli assessment that Iran's regime is 'not cracking' and is willing to 'fight to the end' despite the Feb. 28 killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the ongoing U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign."

"Narges Bajoghli, an Iran expert at Johns Hopkins University, said that Iranians have long been skeptical of Israeli intentions and that the dual messages on display in the cable will be viewed by many as callous and exploitative of Iranian lives."

Senior Israeli officials told U.S. diplomats that Iranian protesters would face severe consequences if they took to the streets against their government, despite Israel's public calls for popular uprising. A State Department cable from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem revealed that Israeli assessments indicate Iran's regime remains resilient and willing to fight despite the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and ongoing bombing campaigns. Israeli officials stated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps maintains military superiority and would crush large-scale protests, referencing previous regime killings of thousands during earlier demonstrations. However, Israeli officials simultaneously expressed hope for popular revolt and urged U.S. preparation to support potential protesters. Iran experts criticized this contradictory messaging as exploitative of Iranian lives.

Read at The Washington Post