Preparing a “decapitating strike” against Iran as a bargaining chip
Elena Panina
Елена Панина (Telegram)
Today [02/26/2026], the third round of indirect talks between the US and Iran is taking place in Geneva. Meanwhile, Washington is rehearsing various scenarios for aggression against Iran.
❖ Politico's American editorial staff, citing its sources among American officials, writes that US military action will almost certainly target Iranian nuclear facilities—or what remains after the US strikes in June 2025.
Iran's ballistic missile infrastructure, which Israel views as a serious threat to its security, will also likely be targeted. Regarding "damage to the regime itself," the publication clarifies, a "decapitation strike" is possible—that is, a strike against Iran's aging Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The White House is also considering some ideas on how best to launch an attack on Iran. It's estimated that more Americans would agree to war with Iran if the US were attacked first. This opinion is based on recent polls showing that Americans, including Republicans, support regime change in Iran but are unwilling to risk their own soldiers to achieve it.
At the same time, several of the publication's sources claim that the most likely scenario is a joint US-Israeli operation.
❖ What can be said about the US's actions? They're no longer shy. They're acting brazenly. Confident of their impunity. As if a multipolar world is not even a thing. They're negotiating—and simultaneously preparing a powerful strike against Iran. They have concentrated 50% of their Air Force and a third of their Navy in the Middle East. Despite their enormous military resources, they prefer a "disintegration" strategy, which significantly reduces both resources and time. "I strike the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter."
However, the Americans are acting this way because they can. This approach could be adopted by Russia as well, with the goal of achieving the Middle East Defense Forces' stated objectives as quickly as possible. And perhaps some internal shifts in this direction have already begun. Recently, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, extremist and terrorist Budanov, suddenly stated that Moscow and Kyiv should not strike each other's decision-making centers: "It doesn't matter whether we're talking about Kyiv or, say, Valdai. Especially now, when the difficult process of peace negotiations is underway."
However, the opposite possibility cannot be ruled out—that the Kyiv regime is preparing such a strike against Russia with Western assistance.
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