In a shocking disclosure, Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has officially stated on record that the Israeli army actively attempted to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the recent escalation between the two nations, but could not identify a viable opportunity. Addressing in a series of high-profile interviews broadcast on Israel's Channel 12, Channel 13, and the government-owned Kan broadcaster, Katz revealed for the first time that Israel has directly struck Tehran's highest-ranking leadership amid concern regarding Iran's nuclear programme and regional power.

“If he had been in our sights, we would have taken him out,” Katz told Channel 13, adding that Israel’s security agencies “searched a lot” but Khamenei managed to evade detection by retreating deep underground. According to Katz, Ayatollah Khamenei went into hiding in a secure bunker and severed communications with Iran’s top military commanders to avoid being tracked. "He knew this, went very deep underground, broke off contact with the commanders… so in the end it wasn't realistic," Katz said to Kan. This is the first official acknowledgment by an Israeli government that a targeted killing of Iran's supreme leader was included in Israel's strategy of war, a major escalation beyond its longstanding targeting of Iran's nuclear facilities.

Trump Also Made Threats During Conflict

Adding to this, US President Donald Trump also hinted at going after the Iranian Supreme Leader. On June 17, in the height of tensions, Trump posted on Truth Social, "We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now." But Trump went on to say that regime change was not the aim of US policy then.

In conceding the plot to assassinate him, Katz continued that Israel's intention was not bald-faced regime change but to destabilize Iran's leadership during the war. He made comparisons with Khamenei and past Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who died in an Israeli airstrike last year. “I wouldn’t recommend that he stay tranquil,” Katz cautioned. "He should take a page from the late Nasrallah, who remained seated for many years in a deep bunker. I suggest he do the same," he added. Since the ceasefire that took effect two days ago, Katz asserted that Israel is no longer actively seeking Khamenei's life. "There's a difference, before the ceasefire, after the ceasefire," he told Channel 13.

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Ayatollah Khamenei Condemns US "Exaggerations"

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has flatly dismissed allegations that the recent Israeli and American bombings hobbled Iran's nuclear program. Appearing in public for the first time since the ceasefire was declared, Khamenei ridiculed former President Trump's call for Iran's "surrender." "The US President said, 'Iran must surrender.' As is obvious, this sentence is too large to be uttered from the lips of the US president," he tweeted on X. Dismissing the extent of the damage, he accused America of overstating the success of its mission. "The American president overspoke events in strange ways. It turned out that he needed this exaggeration." He went on to assert that Iran had won in the encounter, pointing to the Islamic Republic's missile response. "The Islamic Republic won, and in revenge gave a hard slap to the face of America," Khamenei stated.

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Iran's missile attacks killed 28 Israelis, according to official numbers reported by the Israeli government. Meanwhile, Iranian health officials said that Israeli airstrikes in Iran killed at least 627 civilians. The revelations by Defence Minister Katz represent a new chapter in the publicly belligerent rhetoric between Israel and Iran, highlighting how close the recent crisis had come to precipitating an unprecedented political assassination.