Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Oct 10: The leader of Israel’s Democratic Party, Yair Golan, has described the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran as a “mistake”, arguing that it did not serve Israel’s national interests.

“I think, unequivocally, the elimination of Khamenei, the father, was a mistake,” Golan said on Friday, as cited by Al Jazeera.

“Not because he didn’t deserve to die, only because it doesn’t serve the interests of the State of Israel,” he added.

Golan also described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s objective of toppling the Iranian government as “unrealistic”.

Khamenei, 86, was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike on his leadership compound in Tehran on February 28, the opening day of the war, along with several senior Iranian officials. The Israeli Defence Forces confirmed the strike, which brought an end to his decades-long rule over Iran.

He was succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who is believed to be less risk-averse than his father. Since assuming leadership, Mojtaba has largely remained out of public view, communicating mainly through written statements rather than public appearances.

During his rule, the elder Khamenei commanded Iran’s armed forces, oversaw domestic repression and directed regional proxy networks. In 2003, he issued a fatwa banning nuclear weapons in Iran, arguing that they violated the tenets of Islam.