Israel\u2019s military and political officials have announced the death of\nAli Larijani, Iran\u2019s de facto leader, as a major success in military and\nintelligence operations. This attack represents the most significant\nblow to Iran\u2019s leadership since the escalation of the conflict involving\nthe United States and Israel began.<\/p>\n
According to The New York Times, the attack also included operations\nagainst commanders of Iran\u2019s internal security militia, the Basij,\nadding pressure to the country\u2019s power structure. Previously, airstrikes\nin Tehran even killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with several Iranian\nmilitary leaders.<\/p>\n
This series of actions demonstrates Israel\u2019s reliance on targeted\nassassination strategies to achieve war objectives. The main target is\nto weaken the Iranian government and open opportunities for popular\nuprisings by disrupting internal security forces.<\/p>\n
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a video message\nthat if this strategy continues, the Iranian people may determine their\nown fate. Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz affirmed that\nthe military will continue to hunt Iranian leaders and repeatedly sever\ntheir strength.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Larijani\u2019s death raises questions about the long-term\neffectiveness of this strategy. Some parties assess that Israel may be\nusing these tactics not only because they are effective, but also\nbecause they have the capability to do so, despite the risk of\nunintended consequences.<\/p>\n
Israel itself has a long history of assassination operations against\nits enemies. From retaliatory operations following the 1972 Munich\nOlympics tragedy to targeting Palestinian militant figures during the\nSecond Intifada and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in 2024.<\/p>\n
Some Israeli analysts believe this strategy has the potential to\nweaken Iran to the point of compelling it to compromise on nuclear and\nballistic missile issues. Former Mossad official Sima Shine stated that\nsustained pressure could eventually make Iran feel unable to bear the\nburden of the conflict.<\/p>\n
She added that weakening the Basij militia could also reduce the\neffectiveness of security forces in the field. This has the potential to\nmake lower-level members reluctant to carry out their duties in the face\nof internal pressure.<\/p>\n
However, there are also concerns that Larijani\u2019s death could\nstrengthen hardline groups in Iran. Larijani was known as a pragmatic\nfigure capable of bridging moderate groups and military hardliners.<\/p>\n
Analysts assess that his successor could come from more aggressive\ncircles, such as leaders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard or other\nmilitary-political figures. This situation risks prolonging the conflict\nand hardening Iran\u2019s stance towards the United States and Israel.<\/p>\n
Some parties also believe that Iran\u2019s leadership structure is deep\nenough to withstand the loss of key figures. After Khamenei\u2019s death,\nIran quickly appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader.<\/p>\n
Former Israeli military intelligence official Danny Citrinowicz\nstated that the \u201cdecapitation\u201d leadership strategy has limitations. He\nassessed that Iran still has significant capacity to replace slain\nleaders.<\/p>\n
He also exemplified that although Israel succeeded in killing many\nHamas and Hezbollah leaders, both organisations remained resilient\ndespite being weakened. According to him, the strategy is important but\nnot sufficient as the sole approach in war.<\/p>\n
Warnings also come from former head of Israel\u2019s internal security\nagency Ami Ayalon, who believes this strategy risks triggering wider\nchaos in the Middle East region. He reminded that toppling a regime does\nnot always lead to stability, but could spark prolonged conflict.<\/p>\n
Ayalon assessed that the Israeli and US governments do not yet have\nclear and measurable war objectives. He also doubts that military\npressure alone can prompt the Iranian people to overthrow the government\nin the near term.<\/p>\n
According to him, millions of Iranians depend on the existing regime\nand will defend it for their safety. He likened the ideological conflict\nto a game of chess, where victory cannot be achieved merely by toppling\none main figure.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/targeting-irans-leader-israels-war-strategy-questioned-1773834726", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }