In the early days of the conflict with Iran, the role between Israel and the US in the assassination campaigns of senior Tehran leaders was still quite vague. However, over time, the picture gradually became clearer: Israel was the one directly "taking action", while the US mainly stood behind to support.
According to the Jerusalem Post, US military sources avoid claiming responsibility for the assassinations, although the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is said to provide key intelligence. Washington instead focuses on larger-scale targets such as ballistic missiles, UAVs, bases and Iranian navy forces.
From avoidance to proactive action
This change is a complete reversal compared to before. In 2020, when President Donald Trump wanted to remove General Qassem Soleimani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to directly participate, only supporting intelligence for the US to conduct the operation.
The reason at that time was very clear: Israel was worried that Iran would retaliate with ballistic missiles, coordinating with Hezbollah and Hamas. Even Israel's support role had to be kept secret for many years.
Even Tel Aviv has never officially claimed responsibility for the assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in 2020, although it is almost considered "something everyone knows".
A turning point from Iran's failed retaliatory moves
Everything changed after 2024. When Israel was accused of being behind the killing of General Mohammed Reza Zahedi, Iran launched its first direct attack with hundreds of missiles and UAVs.
However, the result was contrary to concerns: Most of the attack was intercepted with the support of the US and allies. The subsequent confrontations also did not cause serious damage to Israel.
This led Tel Aviv to the important conclusion that they could endure and overcome Iran's strongest retaliatory blows.
Israel holds the advantage of "infiltration
Another factor that helps Israel play a key role is its ability to penetrate deeply into Iran. Although the CIA has a global network, Israel is said to have a special advantage in deploying forces right in Iran - something Washington has hardly compared for many years.
Thanks to that, Israel has the ability to identify and approach high-level targets more accurately, thereby directly carrying out assassinations.
For President Donald Trump, not directly participating in assassinations could be a strategic option.
On the one hand, he still wants to maintain the ability to negotiate with an Iranian leader in the future. Directly "taking action" could shut all diplomatic doors.
On the other hand, there is also a hypothesis that Washington wants to reduce the risk of direct retaliation.
After establishing air superiority and continuously eliminating senior Iranian commanders in 2025, Israel seems no longer as hesitant as before.
Meanwhile, the US only participated limitedly and later, mainly supporting large-scale firepower instead of "head-on attacks".
Three weeks after the conflict broke out, a reality has formed: The assassination campaign against Iranian leaders is almost Israel's "private stage".
The rest of the story - especially the real calculations of the US - may only be revealed when the characters involved leave politics.
