How does US-Israeli strategy of decapitation fit into international law?

Published April 11, 2026 5:00am ET



Since the beginning of the war in Iran, a defining feature has been the sustained campaign of assassinations targeting Iranian leadership by the United States and Israel.

From the opening strike killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28, to the targeting of other senior regime figures, Israel and the U.S. have pursued a strategy aimed at weakening Iran’s military capabilities and dismantling the regime itself.

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