Why does Michael kill Sollozzo and McCluskey in the restaurant?

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Key Reasons

1. Protection of his father, Don Vito Corleone After Vito is almost killed by Sollozzo’s attempt (and later left vulnerable in the hospital due to McCluskey’s corrupt interference), it's clear Sollozzo will try again. Michael sees that eliminating both Sollozzo (who wants Vito out of the way to push his drug business) and McCluskey (who removed Vito’s guards and attacked Michael) is necessary to safeguard his father.

2. Practicality and strategy Michael argues the ordinary Mafia rule against killing police doesn’t apply because McCluskey is openly corrupt and working with Sollozzo. Also, because Michael is perceived as a civilian—uninvolved in the family business—he offers safer cover for the assassination plan.

3. Michael’s transformation This act marks Michael’s first step from bystander to active Mafia figure. Up until this point, he’s been detached, honorable, and clean from the family’s dirty work. Killing them is his initiation—he accepts the weight and reality of the Corleone world.

4. Symbolic justice and message By killing Sollozzo and McCluskey, Michael not only prevents future threats but also sends a message to other families that the Corleones will not back down, even at grave risk. Michael also anticipates public exposure of McCluskey's corruption, helping soften the blow politically.

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If you want, I can also break down how Coppola builds tension in that scene to show Michael’s shift.