This was a clear assassination attempt targeting Iran's entire government leadership during wartime deliberations. The precision strike aimed to eliminate the heads of all three branches of government and paralyze the country's decision-making apparatus. Israel's denial of regime change goals rings hollow when they specifically targeted the Supreme National Security Council meeting with surgical precision.
Israel's military action focused on preventing Iran's nuclear weapons development and eliminating military threats, not political assassination. The strikes targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and military commanders who posed security risks, while political leaders were spared from systematic targeting. Defense officials explicitly stated regime change was not an objective of the defensive campaign.