Ex-IAF chief: Iranian regime ‘finished its career,’ diplomacy still in play

Former Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. (res.) Eitan Ben Eliyahu says in an interview with the 103FM radio station that he believes the Iranian regime is nearing its end, while cautioning against assuming that a military strike is imminent amid faltering US-Iran talks.

“The regime in Iran has finished its career. It will happen soon — in two, three, or four years — it’s finished,” Ben Eliyahu says. He argues that signs of internal erosion are already visible, predicting that “the protests will escalate,” and warning that while change takes time in a “large and divided nation,” the unrest “won’t end.”

At the same time, Ben Eliyahu pushes back against claims that a confrontation is just around the corner.

“I never said that in the end diplomacy would win; I said that for now what’s happening is negotiations,” he says, adding that despite widespread calls to strike immediately, “what’s currently taking place is negotiations.”

He says that recent US military signals in the region should be seen as part of pressure tactics rather than proof of an imminent attack.

“The signs did not necessarily indicate that there would be an attack tomorrow morning; they were part of the negotiations,” he says. “But by default, if it fails, everything is prepared and ready for an attack.”

Addressing the ballistic missile threat, Ben Eliyahu stresses that it is not an existential danger to Israel.

“The missile threat cannot be considered an existential threat — it’s not an atomic bomb,” he says, citing Israel’s “exceptional defense system” and “exceptional Home Front Command.”