US and Israeli forces launched military action against Iran on Feb. 28 that
killed Iran’s former supreme leader Khamenei and several senior Iranian
political and military officials. Iran retalied by striking targets inside
Israel and multiple US bases in the Middle East. Yair Golan, former IDF deputy
chief of staff, told a political forum Israel’s killing of Khamenei "was a
mistake and not in Israel’s interests," saying removing an elderly hardline
leader upset a strategic balance, empowered more extreme, violent factions,
worsened Israel’s long-term strategic position and meant Prime Minister
Netanyahu’s bid to overturn the Iranian regime has been declared a failure.