Israeli officials privately told US diplomats that any Iranians who protest against the regime would “get slaughtered," despite the fact that both countries encouraged protesters to rise up, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing a State Department cable.
The cable, which was circulated by the US Embassy in Jerusalem on Friday, said that Iran’s regime was “not cracking” under joint US and Israeli pressure and remained willing to “fight to the end.”
It added that Israeli officials believed protesters who returned to the streets in large numbers would “will get slaughtered” by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other security forces, who have the upper hand.
The cable was verified by two State Department officials, the report noted.
The report said Israeli officials nevertheless urged Washington to be prepared to support demonstrators if unrest expanded. The meetings summarized in the cable reportedly included representatives from Israel’s National Security Council, Defense Ministry, and Foreign Ministry.
The account comes as Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi has called on Iranians to demonstrate around Chaharshanbe Suri, the Persian Festival of Fire.
Analysts cited by the report said many Iranians could view the contrast between public encouragement and private pessimism as cynical, particularly after earlier protests were met with lethal force.
Publicly, Israeli leaders have continued to frame military pressure on Iran as a way to weaken the regime and create conditions for internal change.
Recent reporting has also indicated that Iranian security forces have intensified efforts to suppress possible unrest, including new checkpoints and arrests, even as Israeli and US strikes have damaged regime infrastructure.
Other recent reporting has suggested that despite significant military losses, Tehran’s leadership and internal repression mechanisms remain sufficiently intact to deter an immediate collapse. Israeli assessments cited elsewhere have similarly been cautious about the prospects for rapid regime change, even while officials publicly encourage opposition to the government.