Israeli air strikes target the facilities of the Iranian Internal Security Service

The Israeli army said in a statement on Wednesday that Israel “dropped dozens of munitions on Basij command and internal security centers controlled by the Iranian terrorist regime during the strikes.” “The targeted command centers were used by the Iranian regime to maintain control throughout Iran and maintain regime assessments of the situation.”

Since the beginning Operation Epic RageThe United States struck nearly 2,000 targets as part of a large-scale military campaign aimed at dismantling the regime’s security services and neutralizing threats. Admiral Brad Cooper of US Central Command confirmed the number of targets struck in a video message.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij militia, Iran’s volunteer paramilitary force, were behind the violent crackdown on protesters in January. The bloody crackdown saw regime elements open fire on crowds and conduct mass arrests Iranian demonstrators. Some saw the protests as a sign that regime change in Iran was approaching, although that did not happen.

Smoke rises from central Tehran following US and Israeli raids on the Iranian capital, on March 3, 2026. (Fatima Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Israeli and American officials have hinted at the possibility of regime change in Iran, with both countries targeting military and security sites in Tehran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message announcing the launch of Operation “Epic Fury,” which Israel calls “Operation Rising Lion,” that the time has come for Iranians to “extricate themselves from the yoke of tyranny.” Likewise, President Donald Trump “The hour of your freedom has approached,” he said in a message to the Iranian people on February 28.

“When we’re done, take over your government,” Trump said. “This will likely be your only chance for generations.”

Plumes of smoke rise after reported explosions in Tehran on March 3, 2026, after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in joint US and Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026. (Nigar/Middle East Pictures/AFP via Getty Images)

Israeli minister outlines goals of Iranian mission, says Iranian people now have chance to ‘reclaim their freedom’

The president added: “America supports you with overwhelming power and devastating power. Now is the time to take control of your destiny, and unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is right at your fingertips. This is the moment to act. Don’t let it pass.”

Ali Fayez, Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group, said: The Wall Street Journal The path to regime change through foreign air strikes and a popular uprising on the ground is “a bet that does not depend on a clear historical model.” Faiz also warned that the idea “ignores the resilience of entrenched autocracies like the Islamic Republic.”

The Israeli army said on Monday that Israel struck the headquarters, bases and regional command centers of the regime’s internal security apparatus.

The Israeli army said, “These bodies were responsible, among other things, for suppressing protests against the regime through violent measures and arrests of civilians.”

A group of men inspect the ruins of a police station that was struck amid the US-Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Wahid Salmi/AFP)

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It is unclear who will lead Iran after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei He was killed on the first day of the operation. Since then, Israel and the United States have made it clear that the regime’s leaders chosen to replace it will be targets. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Wednesday that anyone chosen to replace Khamenei would be considered a “target for elimination” if he continued to threaten Israel, the United States and its regional allies.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the killing of key leaders may not be enough to spark an uprising, as the regime has a monopoly on weapons in most parts of Iran, adding that Basij militants are still patrolling the streets.

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips and Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.

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