Israeli strikes have killed multiple high-ranking Iranian advisers close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, leaving the 86-year-old cleric increasingly isolated and raising fears of strategic missteps from a regime now stripped of its core decision-makers.
At a Glance
- Israeli airstrikes have reportedly killed several key Iranian military and security advisers
- Ayatollah Khamenei’s inner circle has shrunk dramatically, destabilizing leadership cohesion
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guards face leadership voids amid critical regional tensions
- Israel’s government claims the attacks target regime leadership, not the Iranian people
- Khamenei’s son and the Assembly of Experts now play larger roles in succession planning
“Lonely Figure” at the Top
According to Haaretz, Khamenei has seen several of his closest advisers—senior military commanders, clerics, and political operatives—eliminated by precision Israeli strikes over recent months. An insider who attends meetings with the Supreme Leader described the resulting risk of strategic miscalculation as “extremely dangerous,” reported by the Irish Times.
Watch a report: Khamenei’s Inner Circle Collapses.
Khamenei, who commands Iran’s armed forces and has ruled since 1989, has long relied on a select group of Revolutionary Guard elites. With these figures gone, questions are intensifying about Iran’s readiness to respond coherently to external threats—or maintain internal stability.
Netanyahu’s Calculated Offensive
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has explicitly stated that Israel’s military actions are focused on Iran’s leadership—not its civilian population. In recent weeks, Israeli Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin confirmed the death of Ali Shadmani, described as Iran’s “Chief of Staff of the War.” The intention appears to be a deliberate strategy to dismantle command cohesion within Tehran.
“We eliminated Ali Shadmani, the most senior military commander of the Iranian regime,” Defrin stated. Netanyahu added, “Our fight is against the murderous Islamic regime that oppresses and impoverishes you,” appealing directly to Iranian citizens while distancing his government from broader civilian harm.
Who Might Succeed Khamenei?
Despite the strikes, Iran’s regime remains structurally prepared for succession. The Assembly of Experts—a clerical body empowered to choose the next Supreme Leader—has gained prominence. Meanwhile, Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, has reportedly taken on increased behind-the-scenes coordination, prompting speculation about a potential hereditary transition.
Watch a report: Iran’s Future After Inner Circle Loss.
Political analyst Alex Vatanka remarked, “Khamenei is extremely stubborn but also extremely cautious. That is why he has been in power for so long.” Whether that caution will persist amid mounting pressure is unclear.
Will This Trigger Regime Collapse?
So far, mass protests have not reignited within Iran following the strikes—despite Netanyahu’s calls for public uprising. Analysts like former diplomat Alon Pinkas suggest that real regime change is rarely external, stating, “It’s internal collapse, not airstrikes, that ends governments like this.”
Still, with fewer voices advising Khamenei, the potential for a destabilizing overreaction—whether abroad or at home—has risen. The ongoing Israeli-Iranian shadow war has now escalated into a direct assault on leadership infrastructure, setting the stage for either dangerous miscalculation or unexpected realignment in Tehran’s power structure.
