Golan says Khamenei’s assassination was an error: ‘We’re left with more extreme leaders’

The Democrats party leader Yair Golan said Friday that the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran in February was a “mistake” because Tehran is now run by “more extreme individuals.” “I think, unequivocally, the elimination of Khamenei the father was a mistake,” the leader of the left-wing party said during an interview at an event in Rishon Lezion. “Not because he didn’t deserve to die, only because it doesn’t serve the interests of the State of Israel,” the left-wing politician added. “Any time there’s an elderly, long-serving leader, there’s a certain advantage to that — and he was already 86 years old.” Golan said that in the wake of Khamenei’s death “we’re left with more extreme and violent individuals.” The former IDF deputy chief said that it was his understanding that Khamenei’s successor, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, “is controlled by the Iranian strategic security elite, which is ultra-extremist.” Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms The new supreme leader of Iran was seriously wounded in the strike that killed his father, and has not been seen in public since. Pro-government Iranian demonstrators hold posters of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, right, and his father Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US and Israeli strikes on February 28, at a celebratory gathering in Tehran, Iran following fresh missile strikes on Israel, on June 7, 2026. (AP/Vahid Salemi) Golan suggested that Israel is in a worse situation overall following the war, because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “set an unrealistic goal that failed and was never achieved — toppling the Iranian regime.” The Democrats leader said that he believed that Israel “was at the peak of its achievements against the Iranians” at the conclusion of Operation Rising Lion in June 2025, and that the situation has deteriorated since February’s Operation Roaring Lion. Advertisement “Netanyahu, in his arrogance and with his political survival considerations, squandered an exceptional strategic opportunity,” Golan later wrote on X. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a state memorial ceremony for civilians murdered in the October 7 massacre, marking three years since the Hamas attack, at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, October 5, 2026. (Olivier Fitoussi/POOL) “Instead of leading a regional diplomatic move that would ensure Israel’s security, he sold illusions to the Americans about toppling the Iranian regime, without a diplomatic strategy to secure the day after,” he wrote. “Under Netanyahu, [Operation] Roaring Lion only worsened our strategic situation instead of improving it. The responsibility for setting the goals, managing the campaign, and its outcomes lies with Netanyahu.” In July, the New York Times reported that US intelligence assessed Mojtaba Khamenei was “far more” inclined to seek the development of nuclear weapons than his father was. The Times noted that the assessment was not based on new information gathered since the start of the war, or since Mojtaba’s ascension as leader, but on previously collected information. Polls show Golan’s The Democrats winning eight-nine seats in the election at the end of the month. Help us report truthfully on social media As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos. This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism , please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. 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Sign in to stop seeing this Most Popular 1 PM’s ex-military secretary: Netanyahu prioritized political survival when he could have saved hostages’ lives 2 Anti-Israel groups urge boycott of Andrea Bocelli’s Jordan concert; he played Tel Aviv in 2022 3 US imposes sanctions on ICC, hours after Nobel award to former judge 4 US said preparing options to renew Iran war, including plan for 3 days of intense strikes 5 Netanyahu’s former military secretary alleges attempt to alter October 7 records 6 Anti-Israel Greens’ chief Polanski loses UK parliamentary election to Labour candidate 7 Police said to believe there is enough evidence to charge PM’s chief of staff for altering records 8 EgyptAir pilot sparks fear after posting El Al plane video with threatening speech on Oct. 7 read more: Israel & the Region Yair Golan Ali Khamenei Mojtaba Khamenei The Democrats Benjamin Netanyahu Iran 2025 Israel-Iran war 2026 US-Israel war with Iran If you’d like to comment, join The Times of Israel Community. 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