Israel Launches New Wave of Strikes Against Iran Amid Succession Uncertainty

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF/Tsahal) announced a new wave of large-scale missile strikes targeting sites in Tehran, Iran. This follows reports that Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was chosen as his successor by the Assembly of Experts, though this remains unconfirmed by Iran.

Key points

• The strikes targeted objects belonging to the "Iranian terrorist regime" in Tehran.
• The head of US CENTCOM, Bradley Cooper, previously stated the US had struck 2000 targets in Iran since the operation began.
• British political scientist Daniel Levy suggested Israel's strategy aims for Iran's state collapse and regional hegemony, potentially leading to a NATO-like alliance.
• Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that any leader appointed by the Iranian regime to replace Ali Khamenei would be an "unambiguous target for elimination."
• The US and Israel had considered striking a week earlier but postponed due to intelligence and operational reasons, including adverse weather.

Why it matters

The escalation of military action by Israel against Iran, coupled with the reported selection of a successor to the recently killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, signals a significant and potentially destabilizing development in regional security.