The writer is director of regional security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies
The Iranian commanders who fatefully gathered in a Tehran compound last night or were killed as they slept spent decades building the regional militias, the arsenal of missiles and drones, and the nuclear programme that compelled others to take Tehran seriously. They believed they had found the right formula for the defence of Iran’s regime, territory and critical infrastructure. It was a costly endeavour that alienated many of the country’s neighbours and faraway powers and caused havoc in the Middle East, but it gave its leadership an inflated sense of purpose and power.
It took two waves of attacks by Israel to shake the whole edifice. Last October, it took out most of Iran’s advanced air defences, after which Israel became the master of the air and of the clock.