Israel has killed one senior Iranian leader after another in airstrikes as it seeks to topple the Islamic Republic. But its past experience of targeting senior militants shows the strategy has limits and can sometimes backfire.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Over the past decade, China has entrenched itself worldwide through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by building extensive transport, energy, and industrial infrastructure and becoming a leading trading partner and creditor by the mid-2020s.