The specter of Iran’s nuclear ambitions has haunted the world for decades, and the current debate over whether the United States or Israel should launch a military strike to obliterate the Fordo nuclear facility underscores the urgency of the moment. A meticulously executed operation—whether by U.S. B-2 bombers dropping bunker-busting munitions or an Israeli commando raid—could reduce Iran’s nuclear infrastructure to rubble, vaporize its enriched uranium stockpiles, and set its program back years. But this would be a temporary setback, not a solution.

Destroying Iran’s nuclear facilities, while tactically satisfying, is a half-measure that fails to address the root of the problem. The real threat lies not in centrifuges or uranium, but in the regime itself—a radical Islamist government driven by an apocalyptic ideology and an unshakable resolve to acquire nuclear weapons – if not now, then later. The only lasting solution is regime change, and the time to support it has never been riper.

Iran’s technical know-how is the Achilles’ heel of any military strike. Decades of investment, illicit procurement, and scientific advancement have equipped the Islamic Republic with the expertise to rebuild its nuclear program, even if every facility is leveled. The scientists, engineers, and technicians who drive Iran’s nuclear efforts cannot be erased by airstrikes. Blueprints, data, and institutional memory will survive. History shows that Iran’s mullahs are nothing if not tenacious. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, they have weathered sanctions, assassinations, and international isolation, all while pursuing their nuclear ambitions with messianic zeal. To the regime’s hardline clerics and Revolutionary Guard commanders, a nuclear bomb is not just a weapon—it’s a divine mandate, a tool to cement their dominance and export their radical ideology. For them, setbacks are temporary; the mission is eternal.

This is not speculation but a sober assessment grounded in the regime’s track record. Iran has consistently defied international agreements, from the sabotaged promises of the 2015 JCPOA to its ongoing obfuscation with the IAEA. The mullahs have shown they will lie, cheat, and endure any hardship to inch closer to a bomb. Even if Fordo and other sites are destroyed, the regime’s ideological commitment ensures they will start anew—quietly, covertly, and with greater determination. A layman observing Iran’s behavior over the past four decades can see this pattern as clearly as any intelligence analyst. Bombing their facilities might buy time, but it won’t extinguish their ambition.

This is why regime change is not just desirable but essential. Fortunately, the conditions for such a transformation are more favorable than ever. A recent poll, conducted clandestinely due to the regime’s brutal censorship, revealed that only 15% of Iranians support the current government. This staggering figure lays bare the regime’s fragility. The Islamic Republic, for all its bluster, is a hollow shell, propped up by fear, repression, and a dwindling cadre of loyalists. The Iranian people, by contrast, are not the monolithic radicals the regime portrays. Before the 1979 revolution, Iran was a largely liberal monarchy, a cosmopolitan nation with a vibrant cultural and intellectual life. Today, despite decades of indoctrination, most Iranians remain secular, yearning for freedom, modernity, and integration with the global community. They are ruled by an unpopular, brutal minority—a theocratic elite that stifles dissent with executions, torture, and morality police.

The Iranian people’s discontent is a powder keg waiting for a spark. Unlike Iraq in 2003, where a U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein only to face a fractured society and prolonged insurgency, Iran presents a different opportunity. The Iranian populace is not only disillusioned but cohesive in its desire for change. Protests in recent years—over economic hardship, women’s rights, and political repression—have shaken the regime’s foundations. Iranians are not clamoring for another dictator or extremist faction; they want a government that reflects their aspirations for democracy, secularism, and alignment with the West. A post-mullah Iran could be a pro-Western, even pro-Israel, state—a seismic shift that would neutralize the nuclear threat and transform the Middle East.

The international community, led by the United States and Israel, must seize this moment. Supporting the Iranian people doesn’t require boots on the ground or another costly occupation. The regime’s collapse is not a pipe dream—it’s a realistic prospect, given its dwindling legitimacy and the courage of Iranians who risk their lives to defy it.

Destroying Iran’s nuclear program would be a tactical victory, but it would not end the war. The mullahs’ ideology, their technical expertise, and their unrelenting ambition ensure that the threat will persist. Only by empowering the Iranian people to overthrow their oppressors can we achieve a lasting solution. The stars are aligning: a despised regime, a restive population, and a global community weary of Iran’s provocations. Now is the time to act—not just to bomb a facility, but to help Iran reclaim its future. The path to a free, nuclear-free Iran runs through regime change, and it’s closer than ever before.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)