As the US weighs joining Israel’s assault on Iran, questions are mounting over whether such an intervention could trigger regime change in Tehran – an outcome that risks splintering the country and sending shockwaves across the region.

By Andrew MacAskill, Federico Maccioni and Pesha Magid LONDON/DUBAI (Reuters) -Israel's strikes on Iran's nuclear installations so far pose only limited risks of contamination, experts say. But they warn that any attack on the country's nuclear power station at Bushehr could cause a nuclear disaster.

Iran said it would continue to defend itself against Israel during a UN Security Council session on Friday, while Israel's UN ambassador vowed that his country would not stop its attacks until Iran's nuclear threat is dismantled.