Opposition Leader Yaïr Golan Calls Khamenei Assassination Strategic Mistake

Yaïr Golan, leader of the opposition party The Democrats, stated on Friday that the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the start of the recent war was a "mistake" that ultimately harmed Israel's strategic interests. Speaking at a cultural event in Rishon LeZion, Golan argued that while Khamenei may have deserved to die, his elimination did not serve Israel's interests, especially given his advanced age of 86. Golan believes that having an elderly, long-serving leader can present strategic advantages.

Golan also criticized Israel's military campaign "Roaring Lion" against Iran, asserting that it weakened Israel's long-term strategic position. He suggested that Khamenei's son, who may be in charge, is controlled by extremist elements within the Iranian leadership. Golan contrasted this with a previous campaign, stating that Israel was strategically superior before the "Roaring Lion" operation, which he believes was undermined by Prime Minister Netanyahu's unrealistic goal of overthrowing the Iranian regime.

In a post on X following the interview, Golan elaborated on his criticism of Netanyahu, attributing the failure not to the military operation itself but to a lack of a diplomatic strategy to capitalize on it. He accused Netanyahu of wasting an exceptional strategic opportunity due to arrogance and political survival calculations. Golan stated that instead of pursuing a regional diplomatic initiative for Israeli security, Netanyahu misled the Americans with illusions of regime change in Iran, without a plan for the aftermath.