Deliberate Strikes on Civilians: Iran Just Opened the Door for Israel to

Until now, Israel has refrained from directly targeting senior Iranian political leaders such as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei or the country’s defense ministers. However, in light of recent events, including verified attacks on Israeli civilians and residential areas (such as the documented strike in Bat Yam early this morning) - the question arises: Does international law now permit Israel to act against Iran’s top political echelon?

Legal Grounds for Targeted Killings Under International Law

According to international humanitarian law - particularly the 1977 Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions - all parties to a conflict must distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants, and between civilian objects and military objectives.

Article 48 states:

“In order to ensure respect for and protection of the civilian population and civilian objects, the Parties to the conflict shall at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives…”

Article 51 reinforces this, prohibiting attacks directed at civilians.

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Article 52 clarifies that only military objectives — those that offer a concrete military advantage — may be lawfully targeted.

Iran’s recent missile strikes, according to clear footage and reports, were deliberately aimed at purely civilian structures, with no identifiable military presence.

Legal experts argue that such actions may constitute war crimes and, crucially, grant Israel a clearer legal basis to take out Iran's top political leadership.

Israel has long defined the Iranian threat as existential. While this alone has been used to justify certain preemptive security actions, the deliberate targeting of civilians over the past two days strengthens its legal and moral case.