Netanyahu responsible for 'absurd risk' in Iran strategy to assassinate Khamenei, expert says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces sharp criticism over what one former security official calls an “absurd” strategy involving the attempted assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The claim comes from Avner Vilan, a former senior Israeli defense official and Iran nuclear expert, who spoke on Tuesday with 103FM radio hosts Or Heller and Amichai Attali. Vilan accused Netanyahu of taking an unrealistic and dangerous path in targeting Khamenei, which he argues has led to significant consequences for Israel. According to Vilan, the strategy centered on eliminating Khamenei through covert means, a goal he described as disconnected from the realities of the Middle East geopolitical landscape. He emphasized that while Israel’s intelligence services, particularly the Mossad, had reportedly succeeded in reaching out to former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the overall mission lacked coherence and practicality. Vilan acknowledged the operational success of the Mossad in contacting Ahmadinejad, calling it an exceptional achievement. “They managed to reach him, and they managed to speak with him. Operationally, that is impressive,” he said. However, he raised questions about the strategic value of such an operation. “We need to stop being dazzled by it and ask ourselves: What was it for?” In Vilan’s view, the broader Israeli policy toward Iran was flawed. He argued that Netanyahu’s decision to focus on Khamenei’s assassination as a primary objective was based on a misjudgment of the current regional dynamics. “Full responsibility for this lies with Benjamin Netanyahu, who decided to go to war with Khamenei’s assassination as an objective,” he stated. “He took a risk, and in my view, it was an absurd risk.” Vilan pointed out that Ahmadinejad, despite being a former president of Iran, was not a central figure in the country’s power structure. “You do not recruit a country’s president every day, certainly not the president of Iran,” he remarked. He suggested that Ahmadinejad’s status as an outsider within the Iranian political elite might have made him more accessible to Israeli intelligence efforts compared to other high-ranking officials. However, Vilan stressed that establishing contact with a potential intelligence asset does not equate to securing unwavering loyalty. “In these situations, it is not as though you wake up one morning and suddenly become a committed Zionist,” he explained. “He met with the Mossad chief, but there is a spectrum. You can meet and do certain things, but that does not mean you are 100% on our side.” Vilan highlighted the complexity of such intelligence work, noting that factors beyond ideological alignment, such as personal interests and motivations, often influence the behavior of individuals in sensitive positions. “These matters are always complicated,” he said. “There is ego, and there are other considerations. I do not know what Ahmadinejad wanted, but the fact is that he did not go all the way with it.” The controversy surrounding Israel’s Iran strategy has intensified amid growing tensions in the region. Critics argue that Netanyahu’s policies have exacerbated hostilities rather than de-escalating them. Meanwhile, supporters of the prime minister maintain that aggressive measures are necessary to counter perceived threats from Iran. As the situation continues to unfold, analysts will be watching closely to see how Israel’s leadership responds to the fallout from its alleged attempts to target Khamenei. The effectiveness of such strategies in achieving long-term stability remains uncertain, with many questioning whether the risks justify the potential rewards.