Iran has shown self-restraint so far, parliament speaker says

Change or fall of the Islamic Republic establishment is not a goal but could be a result of the conflict between Iran and Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with Israeli public broadcaster Kan.

He added that the matter is for the Iranian people to decide, saying, “There is no substitute for this.”

He added that Israel has destroyed over half of Iran’s missile launchers.

“We’re striking [Iran’] launchers. It doesn’t matter so much how many rockets they have. What matters is how many launchers they have — and we’re already getting there. I think we’ve already passed the halfway mark of the launchers they have.”

US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have held multiple phone conversations since the Iran-Israel conflict erupted last week, aiming to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis, Reuters reported on Thursday.

Citing three unnamed diplomats, the report said Araghchi told Witkoff that Tehran would not return to negotiations unless Israel halted its attacks on the Islamic Republic.

The talks also touched on a US proposal from late May to create a regional uranium enrichment consortium outside Iran, which Tehran has rejected.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council warned on Thursday that Tehran would adopt a "different strategy" if a third party were to join Israel in the ongoing conflict.

Israel's military campaign against Iran targets more than nuclear and missile infrastructure and aims to weaken Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s rule to the point of collapse, a Reuters analysis said.

The article cited Israeli, Western and regional officials as saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking lasting concessions from Iran on enrichment, missiles, and regional militancy.

Israeli strikes have expanded to state institutions and top security officials, while US President Donald Trump weighs military involvement but remains open to talks.

Still, the collapse of the Islamic Republic establishment remains unlikely without a ground invasion or uprising, according to the officials.

Persian Gulf and Western powers fear that forced regime change could unleash chaos across the region, the report added.

"Iran isn't just facing Israel," said Alex Vatanka, director of the Washington-based Iran Program at the Middle East Institute. "It’s facing off the United States and European powers."