Israel's military response has weakened Iran's influence, as it lost a key proxy in Gaza and is now more vulnerable to Israeli strikes.

Sinwar's assassination is a strategic setback for both Hamas and Iran. His death may create new opportunities for Israel to negotiate hostage releases and seek an end to the Gaza conflict. Sinwar’s actions have led to significant suffering for Palestinians and heightened tensions in the Middle East.

With Sinwar gone, Hamas will likely shift decision-making to its external leadership, which might consider a hostage deal. Muhammad Sinwar, Yahya’s brother, is now the leading figure in Gaza, supported by remaining military leaders.

Sinwar's decision to launch the operation on October 7, initially seen as a success, has severely complicated Iran's "axis of resistance." Israel has undermined Iran’s defenses, particularly by targeting Hezbollah, significantly damaging its military capabilities.

Iran now faces direct threats from Israel and cannot rely solely on its proxies. This jeopardizes its nuclear ambitions and gives Israel legitimacy to strike Iranian targets.

Iran's regional influence is deteriorating, especially with the collapse of Hezbollah, which diminishes its political power in Lebanon. As Israel dismantles Hamas, Iran's foothold in the region weakens, leaving it reliant on the Houthis in Yemen and Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria.

Sinwar’s reckless actions have disrupted Iran's long-term strategy, dragging it into direct conflict with Israel and putting its nuclear program at risk. Iran must now protect its proxies rather than rely on them for defense, facing the consequences of Sinwar’s gamble.

Yoni Ben Menachem, A NEWSRAEL Contributor, is a Middle East senior analyst ,a journalist and the former CEO of the Israel Broadcasting Authority(IBA). He has decades of experience in written and video journalism. Ben Menachem’s path in the media world began as a producer for Japanese television in the Middle East. After that, he held many key positions in the media The Israeli: CEO of the Israel Broadcasting Authority, director of “Kol Israel” Radio, reporter on West Bank and Gaza Strip affairs, political reporter and commentator, commentator on Middle East affairs and editor-in-chief and presenter of the program “Middle East Magazine”.