International Editor Jeremy Bowen said Friday that the initial expectation of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran’s leadership would collapse following the killing of the country’s Supreme Leader has not materialized.
Speaking from 17:49 on the BBC’s Iran War Today on Friday, July 17, 2026, Bowen argued that the conflict has entered a more complicated phase after what he described as an unsuccessful expectation of rapid regime change.
“Netanyahu of Israel and Trump of America’s initial idea, that there would be regime change once they killed the Supreme Leader, which they did on day one, didn’t happen,” Bowen said.
According to Bowen, the failure of that expectation has left Washington and its allies confronting a prolonged conflict without a clear alternative strategy.
He said Iran’s ruling establishment has remained intact despite the death of its Supreme Leader, with new leaders assuming control of the existing system rather than overseeing its collapse.
Bowen added that the new leadership appears more willing to adopt a hard-line approach, arguing that its members view the conflict as an existential struggle and have shown little willingness to concede to U.S. demands.
His remarks came as fighting between the United States and Iran continued around the Strait of Hormuz, with renewed military exchanges raising further uncertainty over prospects for a negotiated settlement….See More