NEW YORK, March 13. /TASS/. The United States and Israel plan to switch to covert operations against Iran's leadership on its territory and significantly increase external economic pressure on the Islamic Republic if the allies come to a decision to cease hostilities, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing sources.

According to the publication, amid difficulties in achieving the goals of the current large-scale military operation, the US and Israeli leadership are considering alternative options in the fight against the Iranian government. Conducting sabotage, secret assassinations, and other covert operations on Iranian territory appears to be the preferred option, which, from the perspective of the US and Israel, could help achieve the goal of destabilizing the situation within the Islamic Republic. Washington also considers tightening economic sanctions and including Arab countries in them an effective method for provoking mass discontent in Iran.

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were struck. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel. US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also hit. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some other key Iranian leaders were killed in the joint US-Israeli attack.