Veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hersh has issued a stark warning that the United States may be on the brink of launching a heavy bombing campaign against Iran, with military action potentially beginning as early as this weekend. Citing long-standing sources within the US government and Israeli intelligence, Hersh claims the primary objective of the anticipated strikes is regime change—specifically the removal of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
According to Hersh’s report, the operation has been strategically delayed to limit disruption to financial markets, with President Donald Trump allegedly pushing for a weekend attack to soften the blow on Wall Street. Additionally, the postponement has allowed American forces stationed across the Middle East time to prepare for a potentially fierce Iranian counterattack.
The Fordow nuclear facility, which houses Iran’s uranium enrichment centrifuges deep beneath the surface—estimated at a depth of 80 meters—is said to be among the key targets. However, analysts have voiced skepticism that even the US’s most powerful bunker-busting bombs, such as the GBU-57, are capable of breaching such heavily fortified underground structures. Beyond Fordow, Iranian missile systems and air force infrastructure are also believed to be in Washington’s crosshairs.
Despite the scale and significance of the proposed operation, Hersh’s sources suggest there is little detailed planning when it comes to post-strike political strategy. Pentagon officials are reportedly focused more on military targets than on the long-term consequences of toppling the Iranian regime, leading to concerns about the viability and wisdom of such a move.
The Trump administration, Hersh notes, is fully aligned with Israel’s aggressive posture toward Iran, hoping that a coordinated effort will finally topple Tehran’s clerical leadership. One anonymous official bluntly told Hersh, “This is a chance to do away with this regime once and for all and so we might as well go big,” while insisting that the attack would not amount to carpet bombing.
Iran, for its part, has issued stern warnings that any US aggression will be met with swift retaliation, including the potential targeting of American military bases and naval assets in the Gulf. Tehran has also threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil supplies, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that recent Israeli strikes have only strengthened domestic support for Iran’s leadership. The perceived indiscriminate nature of these attacks and concerns over potential successors backed by the US and Israel have reportedly unified public sentiment around the current government, complicating the regime change narrative being promoted in Washington.
