Jeffrey Sachs says US, Israel exploiting Iran unrest to push regime change

Economist says pressure on Tehran fuels instability and calls for diplomacy under UN Charter

Renowned economist and public policy analyst Professor Jeffrey Sachs has sharply criticised the foreign policies of the United States and Israel, accusing both countries of pursuing a strategy of regime change in Iran that could destabilise the wider Middle East.

Speaking in public forums and interviews, the Columbia University academic said current unrest and geopolitical tensions linked to Iran are not purely internal developments but are being significantly fuelled by outside interference.

According to reports by Minute Mirror and recent public statements, Sachs said the United States and Israel have a “long-standing and destructive” pattern of seeking to overthrow Iran’s leadership. He argued that the two allies are using economic warfare, cyberattacks and the exploitation of domestic grievances to weaken the Iranian state from within.

“The U.S. and Israel are not looking for a diplomatic solution,” Sachs said in a recent viral segment. “They are looking for regime change, and they have been for decades. This is a dangerous game that ignores the sovereignty of other nations and risks a massive regional conflagration.”

Sachs said Washington’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018 was a deliberate step aimed at creating chaos rather than promoting peace. He added that Western intelligence agencies often “piggyback” on genuine protests inside Iran in an effort to turn social grievances into a political uprising that serves foreign interests.

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The economist also criticised what he described as a “global policeman” mindset, warning that US-led regime change efforts have previously ended in disaster, citing Iraq and Libya as examples. He said Israel’s desire to see a weakened Iran pushes the United States towards more aggressive policies that endanger regional and global stability.

Calling for a shift in approach, Sachs urged an end to what he termed “American exceptionalism” and advocated diplomacy that respects national sovereignty. He said international engagement should be based on a multipolar framework involving regional powers and international law rather than covert action.

“We need a world based on the UN Charter, not a world based on the CIA’s latest project for regime change,” Sachs said.