Yair Golan calls Khamenei killing a mistake, says Iran war left Israel worse off

Yair Golan, leader of Israel's opposition Democrats party, said Friday that the assassination of Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, at the start of the latest war was a "mistake" that ultimately harmed Israel's strategic interests. Speaking in an interview with journalist Yossi Yehoshua at a cultural event in Rishon LeZion, Golan said he firmly believed eliminating the Iranian leader had been the wrong decision. "I unequivocally believe that killing the elder Khamenei was a mistake," he said. "Not because he didn't deserve to die, but because it doesn't serve the interests of the State of Israel. There is always a certain advantage to having an elderly, long-serving leader. And he was already 86." Golan also argued that Operation Roaring Lion, Israel's latest military campaign against Iran, had weakened the country's long-term strategic position. "My impression is that Khamenei's son, if he is functioning at all, is controlled by the most extreme elements of the Iranian leadership," he said. "After we eliminated the top layer of leadership, we were left with people who are more extreme and more violent." "Israel was at the height of its achievements against Iran at the end of Operation Rising Lion. From a long-term strategic perspective, Operation Roaring Lion worsened our position because Netanyahu himself set an unrealistic objective that was never achieved: overthrowing the Iranian regime." During the same interview, Golan also described Israel's ultra-Orthodox population as "parasitic," saying the goal should be to transform it into a productive, educated population with professional skills. ‘Netanyahu squandered an extraordinary strategic opportunity’ In a post on X following the interview, Golan expanded on his criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arguing that the failure was not the military operation itself but the absence of a diplomatic strategy to capitalize on it. "This is the failure I'm talking about, and it rests entirely with Netanyahu," he wrote. "The killing of the elder Khamenei could have been a historic turning point. But Netanyahu, through his arrogance and considerations of political survival, squandered an extraordinary strategic opportunity." "Instead of leading a regional diplomatic initiative that would guarantee Israel's security, he sold the Americans illusions about overthrowing the Iranian regime, without a diplomatic strategy to secure what would come the day after," Golan wrote. He argued that removing Iran's veteran leadership had strengthened more radical figures within the country's security establishment. "Under Netanyahu, Operation Roaring Lion worsened our strategic position instead of improving it," he wrote. "Responsibility for setting the objectives, managing the campaign and its results lies with Netanyahu. This is how a historic military achievement is turned into a severe strategic failure. Netanyahu must be held accountable for the decisions he made and the outcome he left behind." From praising Khamenei's killing to calling it a mistake Golan's latest remarks stand in contrast to his initial response to Khamenei's assassination in late February, when he publicly welcomed the operation and praised the Israeli and American forces involved. At the time, he described the killing as "a dramatic and significant step," saying the two countries had demonstrated "intelligence superiority and impressive operational capabilities." "Ali Khamenei was the architect of regional terrorism, the man who made Israel's destruction a goal, financed and armed terrorist proxies and deepened instability across the Middle East," he wrote on X. He also addressed the Iranian people, saying: "You have been freed from a cruel tyrant who oppressed you for decades, and a real opportunity for freedom and a better future has opened." By early April, however, about a month and a half later, Golan had begun questioning the decision. "It is possible that the assassination was a mistake and harmed Israel's security," he said at the time. His latest comments Friday went further, portraying the assassination and broader military campaign as a missed strategic opportunity for which he holds Netanyahu directly responsible.