Doubts grow in Israel over war aims despite killing of Iran’s supreme leader

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian 

The killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which Israel described as a major achievement, along with 40 Iranian political and military figures, has not prevented Israeli security and political officials from questioning whether Washington and Tel Aviv can achieve their stated objective of toppling the regime.

While Defense Minister Israel Katz said the assassination marked a turning point, military and security officials stressed the importance of destroying Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, which have been targeting Israel during the war at a pace that could continue for days.

Meanwhile, the condition of the home front and civilian protection has raised concern inside Israel, particularly as 34% of Israelis lack access to shelters or safe rooms.

As Israel seeks to conceal the extent of the damage caused by Iranian missiles, a missile that directly struck a public shelter killed more than eight people and wounded many others, in addition to reports of lost contact with several civilians.

Images circulated from several areas across Israel showed massive destruction that, according to Israeli officials, exceeded 30% of the damage caused during the previous Iranian attack.

Amid challenges on the home front and efforts to achieve the war’s objectives, security agencies and decision-makers remain on high alert, with no clear timeline for the conflict. 

Israel initially expected the first phase to conclude within four days, later said it could last a week, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later suggested it might continue for up to a month.