Netanyahu says seeing ‘cracks’ in Iran leadership

Published March 20, 2026 Updated March 20, 2026 12:53am

The Israeli prime minister says he us “seeing cracks” in the Iranian leadership, with the country’s new supreme leader yet to make a public appearance, AFP reports.

“I’m not sure who’s running Iran right now. Mojtaba, the replacement ayatollah, has not shown his face. What we see is that there is a lot of tensions inside the people who are edging for the top,” Benjamin Netanyahu has said in a televised press conference.

“We’re seeing cracks, and we’re trying to propagate them as fast as we can, not only in the top command, we’re seeing cracks in the field.”

Opinion

Editorial

Larijani’s killing
Updated 19 Mar, 2026

Larijani’s killing

The late Larijani was one of the most powerful men in Iran — a thinker and a soldier.
War’s hunger toll
19 Mar, 2026

War’s hunger toll

THE conflict between the US, Israel and Iran continues to widen with far-reaching repercussions.The UN’s World ...
Let them in
Updated 19 Mar, 2026

Let them in

THE government need not be so difficult. Former prime minister Imran Khan’s sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, have not ...
Exit strategy
Updated 18 Mar, 2026

Exit strategy

MOST members of the international community, particularly states in the greater Middle East, are gravely concerned...
Unsafe trains
18 Mar, 2026

Unsafe trains

SUNDAY’S accident involving the Shalimar Express has once again brought into sharp focus the deep structural and...
Disappointment in Dhaka
18 Mar, 2026

Disappointment in Dhaka

FOR a side looking for lift-off after a disappointing T20 World Cup, it was despair for Shaheen Shah Afridi’s ...