The question of whether Israel will launch a second wave of airstrikes on Iranian targets dominates discussions in Tehran’s press, websites, and social media. Opponents of the Islamic Republic watch with anticipation, hoping further Israeli action might hasten the regime’s collapse. Officials, meanwhile, are putting on a brave face—though it is widely acknowledged that Iran is unable to defend its airspace.
Amid the confusion, Iranian politicians and officials continue to issue contradictory statements, often reinforcing Israel’s argument that the regime poses a long-term threat and that regime change may be the only durable solution.
Opponents of the Islamic Republic watch with anticipation, hoping further Israeli action might hasten the regime’s collapse.
On July 12, 2025, a senior adviser to the speaker of Iran’s parliament tweeted an image showing nuclear explosions across a map of Israel. The tweet quickly went viral, shared widely by opposition activists and international commentators. Though swiftly deleted, the adviser claimed the post had been published mistakenly by a subordinate—but the damage was already done.
Even as officials claim readiness for nuclear negotiations with the United States, their demands and conditions remain far from what Washington or Jerusalem would accept. American and Israeli leaders have insisted recently that any future agreement must go beyond uranium enrichment and restrict Iran’s ballistic missile program and its arming of regional proxies. Yet some Iranian politicians have gone in the opposite direction, demanding U.S. reparations for the June airstrikes and guarantees against future attacks as preconditions for talks.
There is no indication that Tehran is ready to accept these terms. Even Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly urged Iran on July 12 to halt enrichment—particularly at the high levels that have no meaningful civilian application—but Iranian leaders remain defiant. Both senior officials and parliamentarians continue to emphasize what they claim is Iran’s right to enrich uranium.
In Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, fresh from meetings with President Donald Trump, told Fox News: “It’s not over. It’s never over. We have to keep Iran in check. … Nothing is guaranteed. … You safeguard your success.” He added that if Iran had ever acquired a nuclear weapon, it would have used it against Israel.
Inside Iran, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei remains absent from public view, and several high-ranking military officials—notably those spared in Israel’s June operation—have yet to make public appearances. Meanwhile, exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who launched an online initiative in early July to attract defectors from the military, claims thousands of servicemen and regime loyalists have pledged allegiance to the people via a secure server.
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi ... claims thousands of servicemen and regime loyalists have pledged allegiance to the people via a secure server.
The so-called “reformist” camp is also stirring. Mir-Hossein Mousavi, a former prime minister under house arrest since 2011, issued a statement calling for a constituent assembly and a referendum to overhaul the political system. But many opposition figures dismiss such proposals as unworkable under the current regime, arguing that any referendum managed by the Islamic Republic would be a charade, as past elections have demonstrated. Only after the regime is gone, they argue, will a truly free and fair vote on Iran’s future be possible.
Despite the political chaos, one perception is widely shared among Iranians: The Islamic Republic has suffered an unprecedented humiliation. It failed to detect Israel’s surprise, well-coordinated strike—and proved incapable of mounting a defense. This has exposed the regime’s profound vulnerabilities, which have ravaged its economy, environment, social fabric, and legitimacy. As one Iranian analyst put it, “Humiliation is a form of symbolic death that not only ends a government’s legitimacy but also erases the possibility of reclaiming its story.”
