Reporting from Ramallah, Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh says Israeli officials are framing the war on Iran in terms more commonly used for campaigns against non-state armed groups — emphasising the pursuit of senior figures and signalling opposition to Iran’s leadership succession.

Odeh argues Israel is trying to persuade international audiences to view Iran — a UN member state of more than 90 million people — through the same lens it uses for groups it labels as terrorist organisations.

She says Israeli military circles are indicating the bombardment could continue for at least two more weeks, with the stated aim of weakening Iran’s leadership and creating conditions in which internal opposition might grow.

According to Odeh, the expectation being conveyed to the Israeli public is that sustained strikes will “soften the ground” and help set the stage for a popular uprising against the authorities in Tehran.

UK Fact Check Politics note: these are claims and assessments attributed to Israeli military circles and political analysis; the outcome and timeframe cannot be independently verified.