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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Julian Borger Senior international correspondent

Four scenarios: what are the possible outcomes of the US-Israel war on Iran?

Iran United States Donald Trump Ali Khamenei Civil War Nicolás Maduro Reza Pahlavi IRGC Israel
The setting sun is obscured by a dense cloud of dark smoke above an urban skyline
Smoke rises over Tehran after a US-Israeli airstrike. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters

Piecing together what the US and Israeli officials have said about the attack on Iran, its objectives appear to be to inflict maximum damage on the pillars of the country’s power, specifically its nuclear and missile programmes and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The ultimate objective however, as repeatedly expressed by Donald Trump at least, is to pave the way for a popular uprising that would sweep away the cleric-led regime that has run the country for 47 years. Trump has presented the devastating assault as a once-in-a-lifetime chance for the people of Iran to “take back your government”.

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