Jerusalem: In a stunning admission, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz revealed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was considered a high-priority assassination target during the intense 12-day conflict this month. Katz disclosed that Israel was prepared to eliminate Khamenei, but the Iranian leader evaded the strike by going into hiding deep underground and cutting off all contacts with his commanders.
“If Khamenei had been in our sights, we would have taken him out,” Katz told Kan public television on Thursday, adding that it simply was “not realistic” to reach him during the fighting because of his concealed location.
Speaking on Channel 13, Katz elaborated, “We searched a lot,” underlining that Israel had no intention of regime change but was determined to destabilise Iran’s leadership and put maximum pressure on Tehran’s military command.
The hostilities, which erupted on June 13 and ended with a US-brokered ceasefire on June 25, saw Israel carry out heavy airstrikes, including targeting top Iranian military officers and nuclear scientists. Katz highlighted that Israel had achieved “aerial superiority” and maintained an aggressive policy of “enforcement actions against Iran,” aimed at thwarting any revival of the country’s nuclear and missile programs.
When questioned whether the US had given a green light to take out Khamenei, Katz responded bluntly: “We don’t need permission for these things.” He compared Iran’s leader to Hezbollah’s slain chief Hassan Nasrallah, warning, “I wouldn’t recommend that he stay tranquil… He should learn from the late Nasrallah… I recommend that he do the same thing.”
During the conflict, US President Donald Trump also made pointed threats against Khamenei. On June 17, Trump posted on social media, “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding… We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.” He later clarified that Washington was not pursuing regime change at this stage.
Nevertheless, Trump authorised Operation Midnight Hammer, a set of precision airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the strikes as a “total obliteration” that dramatically weakened Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. “It was a total success… Not only does our own intelligence say that, but even the Iranian foreign minister and the United Nations agreed,” she claimed.
Leavitt added that the US remains committed to dialogue, with diplomatic talks lined up through intermediaries including Qatar to explore a “non-enrichment civil nuclear program” for Iran in the coming weeks.
Following the fragile ceasefire, Katz made it clear that Israel would not actively pursue Khamenei’s life for now. “There’s a difference, before the ceasefire, after the ceasefire,” he explained, while warning that any fresh provocation would meet a harsh response.
Although Katz admitted Israel has not yet identified all of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles, he was confident that the air campaign had dealt a massive blow to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. “We won’t let that happen,” he concluded.
