Israeli opposition leader says Khamenei killing was 'mistake'

Yair Golan, head of Israel's opposition Democratic Party, said on Friday that the killing of Iran's former supreme leader Ali Khamenei at the outset of the US-Israeli war was a "mistake" that failed to serve Israeli interests. Speaking at an event in Rishon LeZion south of Tel Aviv, Golan told The Times of Israel that the February assassination had backfired strategically, placing Tehran under more hardline leadership.

"I think, unequivocally, the elimination of Khamenei the father was a mistake," Golan said, adding that the 86-year-old's death had brought his son Mojtaba to power alongside "more extreme and violent individuals." "Not because he didn't deserve to die, only because it doesn't serve the interests of the State of Israel," he stated.

Netanyahu criticized over war aims

Golan also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for pursuing an "unrealistic goal" of toppling the Iranian government — an objective the opposition leader said had not been achieved since hostilities began on February 28. The veteran politician noted that removing the elder Khamenei from power had actually strengthened Tehran's most radical factions rather than weakening the Islamic Republic's governance structure.

Regional fallout continues

The US and Israel launched military action against Iran on Feb. 28, prompting Tehran to respond with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz. Washington and Tehran signed a framework agreement in June following mediation efforts by Pakistan and Qatar to halt hostilities, though commercial oil traffic through the vital waterway remains severely disrupted and global energy prices have risen sharply.