Mr. Biden contended that the assassination of Mr. Haniyeh was poorly timed, coming right at what the Americans hoped would be the endgame of the process, according to the U.S. official, who likewise did not want to be identified describing private talks. Moreover, Mr. Biden expressed concern that carrying out the operation in Tehran could trigger the wider regional war that he has been trying to avert.
This is a prime example of a political anslysis that completely fails by presuming the wrong premises.
From Netanyahu’s perspective, it was perfectly timed, and for exactly that reason. The key is that Netanyahu doesn’t want a cease-fire under any circumstances.
And again, from Netanyahu’s perspective, it could trigger the wider regional war that he has deliberately been trying to trigger. Just like the harm it’s done to the peace process, that’s not an unwanted side effect - it is, to Netanyahu, the exact goal.