Story perspectives

U.S. Military Action in Iran: Unlikely to Shift Power

3/10/2026

Center

Graham Advocates Military Action

A U.S. intelligence assessment says military intervention in Iran is unlikely to change the regime.
The report notes there would be no unified opposition to take over even if the leadership were eliminated.
After strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Iran named his son Mojtaba Khamenei as the new leader.
Protests against U.S. actions emerged in several U.S. cities.
Senator Lindsey Graham calls for further military action.

Left

Gavito Warns Destabilization

Jennifer Gavito, a former U.S. diplomat, warns that attempts to topple Iran's leadership could destabilize the region and strengthen the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Gavito notes past U.S. strategies have often produced a harder-line Iranian government.
Public support for U.S. actions against Iran remains low, with polls showing 27% to 50% approval, potentially worsening instability in Lebanon by undermining the new government's control of Hezbollah.

History

Historical Context

The Iranian Revolution of 1979 overthrew Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, establishing an Islamic Republic led by Ayatollah Khomeini. This shift marked the end of Iran's monarchy and the rise of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The revolution's aftermath, including the Iran-Iraq War starting in 1980, shaped Iran's military and political landscape, complicating U.S. relations in the region.

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Graham Advocates Military Action

A U.S. intelligence assessment says military intervention in Iran is unlikely to change the regime.
The report notes there would be no unified opposition to take over even if the leadership were eliminated.
After strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Iran named his son Mojtaba Khamenei as the new leader.
Protests against U.S. actions emerged in several U.S. cities.
Senator Lindsey Graham calls for further military action.

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