The war between the United States and Israel against Iran has reached a point where their goals are no longer aligned. The US President, who initially saw a quick military victory with minimal economic pain, now wants to ensure regime change while keeping its economic costs in check. On the other hand, Israeli leaders have grander visions of toppling the Iranian government and removing it from power.
The conflict started with Trump’s latest outburst against Israel’s attacks on Iran’s South Pars gas field, which Trump claimed he was not aware of. However, multiple officials contradicted this claim, saying that while the US was not involved in the strike, they were informed about it by Israel.
Netanyahu has been pushing for a regime change since the war began, but Trump wants to keep the costs contained. This divergence in goals is reflected in their military tactics, with 40% of Israeli strikes aimed at Iranian security forces and installations that would be used to suppress future uprisings.
Despite this, both sides acknowledge that Iran’s regime is not cracking, and its hold on power remains intact. The White House denied that the war’s scope has become murky or open-ended but claimed to have four distinct goals: destroying Iran’s ballistic missile program, sinking its navy, neutralizing its regional allies, and guaranteeing it can’t obtain a nuclear weapon.
However, senior US administration officials say significant cracks in the alliance began to emerge as Israel’s attacks on Iran’s oil facilities unleashed toxic smoke and acid rain. “Israel is pursuing a scorched-earth campaign of regime change,” said an official. “Bibi wants to wreck Iran’s economy and decimate its energy infrastructure. Trump wants to keep it intact.”
The situation remains fluid, with Trump weighing the decision to escalate, including by sending in ground troops. While this move would be risky for Trump, it could be necessary to achieve regime change or open up the Strait of Hormuz.
In Israel, Netanyahu is seizing an opportunity to decimate an arch-rival under a US President who has given him a longer military leash than any other leader in American history. The White House and Israeli officials have tried to reset the narrative that the war was Trump’s decision alone but are struggling to define their shared objectives.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/03/20/us-israel-iran-goals-trump-netanyahu