Christiane Amanpour Unpacks the Fighting Between Iran and Israel

YOU HAVE BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, GIVEN WHAT THEY SAID TO YOU, WANTING TO DRAW THE UNITED STATES IN.

THE QUESTION IS, WILL TRUMP BE DRAWN IN?

THE OTHER QUESTION, GIVEN WHAT YOU JUST REPORTED AND WHAT WE HAVE SEEN, USING STATE MEDIA AND TALKING ABOUT CIVILIANS OF ACCURATE --EVACUATING, AND SEEING THEY DO HAVE CONTROL OF THE SKIES AND THEY HAVE PRACTICALLY FOR THE BEGINNING OF THIS, WHAT IS THE ACTUAL SUBTEXT OF THIS?

IS IT JUST TO DAMAGE AND SETBACK AND IF THEY CAN, DESTROY THE NUCLEAR SITUATION THERE AND THE MILITARY TARGETS?

OR IS IT REGIME CHANGE?

THEY ARE VIGOROUSLY SAYING IT IS NOT REGIME CHANGE.

BUT THE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS OTHERWISE THERE ARE MANY TARGETS SINCE FRIDAY THAT HAVE NOT BEEN NUCLEAR RELATED.

BUT VERY MUCH LEADERSHIP RELATED.

YOU ALSO HAVE THAT REPORTING.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS CONFIRMED YET THAT TRUMP APPARENTLY VETOED THE SUPREME LEADERS AND BEING ON ONE OF THE ORIGINAL HIT LISTS.

THERE IS THE FEELING, INCLUDING WHAT BENJAMIN NETANYAHU HIMSELF TOLD FOLKS ON FOX NEWS THIS WEEKEND IS THAT THIS MAY HELP IRANIANS RISE UP AGAINST THE REGIME AND YOU ALSO HEARD THE ISRAELI PRESIDENT TELL CNN THAT AFTER BACKING OFF AND SAYING, NO.

THE REGIME CHANGE IS NOT OUR GOAL.

IT APPEARS TO BE, IN THE BACK OF THEIR MIND.

IS.

EVERYONE IS CALLING THE DE-ESCALATION.

BUT THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ANY OFFRAMP.

THE U.S., TRUMP IS NOT PRESSURING ISRAEL.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU APPEARS TO BE IN CHARGE OF THE MISSION AND HE HAS MADE A DIRECT HIT ON THE DIPLOMATIC PART BY KILLING ALI WHO USED TO BE IN THE MILITARY AND IS POLITICAL AID TO THE LEADER.

AND WAS A DIRECTOR OF THE CURRENT NEGOTIATIONS.

BY KILLING HIM, THEY HOPE TO KILL OFF ANY DIPLOMATIC RESOLUTION.

BECAUSE HILTY NEVER WANTED A DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION.

HE DOES NOT BELIEVE IN IT.

AND HE WAS FUNDAMENTAL AND INSTRUMENTAL IN CAUSING PRESIDENT TRUMP TO WITHDRAW FROM THE NUCLEAR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE U.S., IRAN AND THE REST OF THE WORLD.

>> ALSO, CHRISTIANE WITH MY COME TO THE POINT YOU RAISED AND IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE PRESIDENT VETOED AN ASSASSINATION OF THE SUPREME LEADER.

WHEN I ASKED HIM HIS THOUGHTS ON THAT AND WHETHER THAT WAS A MISTAKE, HE SAID, "ALL OPTIONS ARE ON THE TABLE."

AND TO THE POINT OF POTENTIAL REGIME CHANGE IN THE COUNTRY, WHETHER THAT WAS INDEED ONE OF ISRAEL'S TARGETS, HE SAID, "I'M NOT RESISTING.

I'M SUPPORTING A CHANGE OF REGIME IN IRAN BUT A LOT OF IT HAS TO BE DONE BY THE IRANIAN PEOPLE AND NOT BY US AND NOT BY AMERICA."

THAT SEEMS TO BE THE LINE WE ARE HEARING FROM THIS GOVERNMENT.

I INTERVIEWED A FOREIGN MINISTER YESTERDAY AND HE WAS SAYING SOMETHING SIMILAR ABOUT THAT, THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE DISAPPOINTED IN A REGIME CHANGE BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE BY THE IRANIAN PEOPLE.

WHAT ARE YOU HEARING?

>> THAT MEANS THAT THEY HOPE THAT THEY CAN FACILITATE AND ENABLE IRANIAN PEOPLE, TO RISE UP.

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT A HUGE MAJORITY OF THE IRANIAN PEOPLE WANT TO SEE A DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT.

THEY WANT FREEDOM.

THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THEIR DAILY GROCERIES, SCHOOLS AND ENERGY COSTS.

ALL THE SAME THINGS EVERYBODY ELSE WANTS.

AND THE SANCTIONS AND THE IRANIAN MISMANAGEMENT OF THE ECONOMY OVER DECADES.

THE MASSIVE SANCTIONS HAVE MADE THAT VERY DIFFICULT.

THE IRANIAN PEOPLE ARE UNDER HUGE PRESSURE.

BUT WHEN YOUR COUNTRY IS ATTACKED, IS WHAT I'M HEARING FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE INSIDE, BY A FOREIGN POWER, IT MAKES YOU LESS ABLE AND LESS WILLING TO GO OUT IN THE STREETS AND RALLY AROUND, IN THIS CASE, THE ISRAELI FLAG.

INSTEAD, ACCORDING TO MY SOURCES, WHO I HAVE BEEN TALKING TO THE LAST FEW DAYS, IN THEIR WORDS, THERE IS A SURPRISING CONSOLIDATION OF RALLYING AROUND THE IRANIAN FLAG.

NATION EVEN IF THEY DON'T NECESSARILY BELIEVE IN THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT.

THAT IS ONE ISSUE.

WE DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WILL PAN OUT.

WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT UP UNTIL NOW, EVERY TIME THE IRANIAN PEOPLE HAVE DEMONSTRATED THEIR DESIRE FOR CHANGE, WHETHER IT WAS IN THE UPRISING KNOWN AS WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM, WHICH BY THE WAY, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAID, MAKE THAT WHAT YOU WILL.

HE URGED THEM TO TAKE THAT TO HEART.

BUT THEN, AND IN THE 2009 GREENROOM RESOLUTION ONE PEOPLE CAME INTO THE STREETS, THE REGIME SHOWED NO MERCY IN CRACKING DOWN.

THEY STILL HAVE THE ABILITY.

SO THAT IS THE REALITY OF WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW.

IF ANY NATION OR PEOPLE OR FACTION CAN TURN THE MILITARY OR THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS, MAYBE THAT IS A DIFFERENT THING.

BUT AT THE MOMENT, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT BUT AT THE MOMENT, IT APPEARS THEY ARE MOSTLY SCARED AND THEY ARE STAYING IN THEIR HOUSES AND, BECAUSE INCLUDING THE REGIME TARGETS THEY HAVE GOT, AND I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I TALKED TO SOMEONE WHO LOST A RELATIVE, BUILDINGS HAVE COME DOWN AS WELL.

AND THOSE BUILDINGS ARE ALSO CIVILIANS.

AND THERE ARE A LOT OF INJURIES AND DEATH.

AND IRAN HAS DOES NOT HAVE THIS SITUATION SINCE THE IRAQ WAR, SINCE SADDAM HUSSEIN INVADED IRAN.

THAT IS THE COMPLICATED SITUATION ON THE GROUND.