Israel has intensified a campaign of targeted airstrikes that has killed several of Iran’s most senior leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an effort to destabilize the government. His successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, is viewed as even less compromising, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard continues missile attacks and has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli leaders argue the killings could weaken the regime and potentially open the door to political change.

Experts caution that targeted killings rarely achieve lasting strategic goals on their own. Militant groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas have historically survived the loss of top leaders, sometimes emerging stronger or more radical. Analysts note that removing individual figures does not dismantle the broader political and military networks that sustain governments and armed movements.

Past international interventions offer similar warnings. The killings of leaders in countries such as Congo, Libya and Iraq were followed by prolonged instability and conflict. Specialists say that while decapitation strikes can disrupt command structures and weaken adversaries, they can also fuel retaliation, empower harder-line successors and increase violence unless paired with a coherent political strategy.