On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti Israel’s endgame in Iran
Mar 16, 2026
Daniel Kurtzer, former U.S. ambassador and Princeton Middle East scholar; Ori Goldberg, independent Israeli analyst critical of policy; Lazer Berman, Times of Israel diplomatic correspondent. They dissect Israel’s strategic aims in the campaign against Iran. Short takes on Netanyahu’s objectives, limits of air strikes, proxy threats and where U.S. and Israeli goals may diverge.
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Israel's Multifold Strategic Goals
- Israel's stated goals are to stop Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile progress and curb its support for regional proxies.
- Lazer Berman says Netanyahu also wants strikes to create conditions that might encourage internal Iranian opposition to the regime.
Netanyahu Avoids Postwar Governance Plans
- Netanyahu articulates goals but avoids detailing post-conflict governance.
- Lazer Berman notes Netanyahu speaks of 'creating conditions' for Iranians to change their own government but not what would follow.
Iran's Regime Is Hard To Crack Quickly
- Iran's regime has high resilience and historical experience surviving shocks.
- Lazer Berman cautions that 17 days into the conflict there are signs but no clear evidence the regime is cracking.