Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said Saturday that Iran is being "decimated as we speak" amid ongoing U.S.-Israel military strikes, describing the operation as a potential turning point for the Iranian people.
Speaking on Newsmax, Friedman said the joint military effort represents "the greatest military operation" carried out by the alliance between the United States and Israel.
"We're seeing, frankly, the greatest military operation, this alliance, this combination between the best of America and the best of Israel, seeing the greatest military force in history, most creative, most intelligent, most effective, and I think it's having its effects on Iran," Friedman said.
While reports suggest the operation could continue for several more days, Friedman said he does not expect a prolonged conflict.
"No one knows three days, five days, whatever the time it is. It's not a long war. President Trump has made it clear. He's not in this for a long battle," he said.
Friedman said the military action has created what he called an opportunity for the Iranian people to push for regime change.
"What he's done, he's created an opening for the Iranian people to take back the country. It is the best option they're ever going to have," Friedman said.
"The goal is to hope that with the weakening of the Iranian regime and what we're hearing now is Khamenei is dead, many of his top staff are dead," he added. "This is an opening that Iran has never had before, and the people, hopefully, are rising up."
Reports have circulated that Iran's supreme leader may have appointed a successor prior to the strikes.
When asked about those claims, Friedman said he had limited intelligence but believed other senior leaders were likely killed in the same meeting.
"The only intelligence I have is that Khomeini was not killed by himself," said Friedman. "He was killed in a meeting with others that both Israel, the United States, were aware of the meeting."
The battle began on Saturday, he continued, "because they were aware that this meeting was taking place at about 8.15 in the morning in Tehran," Friedman said.
"So I'm assuming that other leaders were killed alongside Khomeini, but I don't know which ones."
Friedman said the broader question is not who might step into leadership, but what kind of country they would inherit.
"There's going to be somebody there," he said. "There's going to be some person who theoretically could step into the shoes of Khomeini. The question is, who, what will they be stepping into, and why would they?" he said.
"If the country's decimated, if the people are rising up, if America, Israel, and many other countries are supporting the rebels, they have a better chance than ever before."
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