politics
March 18, 2026
US and Israel's strategy to kill Iran's top figures may prove counterproductive
Attempt to ‘decapitate’ state may harden resistance instead of destabilising regime
TL;DR
- Israel's strategy to assassinate senior Iranian officials raises questions about its effectiveness in achieving regime change.
- Experts are skeptical that targeted attacks can topple Iran's clerical regime, citing its institutional resilience.
- Past Israeli assassination campaigns against groups like Hamas and Hezbollah have not led to their collapse, but rather resilience and hardened resistance.
- The strategy risks rejuvenating a regime that was seen as stagnating and could lead to an internally unstable Iran prone to external violence.
- A potential outcome is a 'wounded, revanchist, and ungovernable' Iran.
- Critics argue the strategy offers no agency, choice, or justice for Iranians.
Continue reading the original article