US intervention could spark chaos in Iran

Iranian protesters may find that they got more than they bargained for if US President Donald Trump acts on his threat to intervene militarily in support of protesters. Mr. Trump’s threat may have emboldened Iranians to continue taking to the streets, assuming that the world’s most powerful leader has their back. Many protesters and some US officials believe that US airstrikes would undermine the morale and cohesion of Iran’s security forces and spark defections and refusals to obey orders to crack down on the demonstrators. The risk is that striking regime targets could evolve into an attempt to topple the regime as advocated by Israeli leaders and Republican hardliners.