Yair Golan Calls Khamenei Assassination a Mistake, Criticizes Netanyahu

Former IDF deputy chief of staff Yair Golan has reversed his stance on the assassination of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, now calling the act a strategic mistake. Speaking at a conference in Rishon LeZion, Golan stated that the assassination, which occurred in late February, ultimately worsened Israel's strategic position. He argued that the operation, codenamed "Roaring Lion," failed to achieve its unrealistic goal of toppling the Iranian regime, a goal set by Prime Minister Netanyahu. Golan asserted that this failure has empowered more extreme elements within Iran's security leadership.

Golan's current assessment sharply contrasts with his initial reaction to the assassination. At the time, he praised the operation, commending Israeli and American security forces for their intelligence and operational capabilities. He described Khamenei as the architect of regional terror and a proponent of Israel's destruction, expressing hope for the Iranian people's liberation.

Following the controversy sparked by his remarks, Golan issued a clarification. He reiterated that the failure was Netanyahu's, stemming from his political survival calculations. Golan believes Netanyahu sold the Americans false hopes of regime collapse without a post-operation political strategy. Instead of leading a regional diplomatic initiative for Israel's security, Netanyahu's approach, according to Golan, led to the removal of the old leadership and the strengthening of more violent extremists.