Iran's Supreme leader Khamenei was Israel’s top target during recent conflict

The Israeli military had been actively searching for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the 12-day war, as they had plans to assassinate Iran’s top leader.

Updated on: Jun 27, 2025, 13:24:06 IST

By HT News Desk

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Israel had plans to assassinate Iran’s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the recent 12-day war, but the right moment never came, according to the country’s defense minister.

Defense Minister Israel Katz, who had openly threatened to kill Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he confirmed those efforts in a televised interview. (AP)

The Israeli military had been actively searching for Khamenei during the conflict, which ended earlier this week after a cease-fire was brokered with help from US President Donald Trump. Defense Minister Israel Katz, who had openly threatened to kill Khamenei, confirmed those efforts in a televised interview.

“I estimate that if Khamenei had been in our sights, we would have taken him out,” he said. “But Khamenei understood this, went underground to very great depths and broke off contacts with the commanders who replaced those commanders who were eliminated, so it wasn’t realistic in the end,” he added.

Donald Trump threatened Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

President Donald Trump also threatened Khamenei’s life during the war, he wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) on June 17: “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.”

Also Read: Inside ‘Operation Narnia,’ the Daring Attack Israel Feared It Couldn’t Pull Off

Khamenei became Israel’s top target last week after an Iranian missile hit a hospital in Beersheba, injuring around 80 people and destroying several parts of the facility.

After that strike, Katz warned that “Khamenei will pay for his crimes,” and said future operations would “shake” the foundations of Iran’s regime, as cited by New York Post report.

Ayatollah disappeared on June 13

The ayatollah disappeared from the public eye once Israeli airstrikes began on June 13. He remained out of sight for days, reappearing Thursday with bold claims that Iran had come out on top against both Israel and the United States.

“The Islamic Republic was victorious and, in retaliation, delivered a hand slap to America’s face,” Khamenei said, despite the serious damage inflicted on Iran’s military and infrastructure.

He also dismissed reports from the US and UN about the effectiveness of American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Washington confirmed it had used deep-penetrating bombs to target nuclear sites, but Khamenei downplayed the outcome.

'US couldn’t achieve much…': Khamenei

“US hit nuclear sites but couldn’t achieve much,” Khamenei said during a televised speech. He also took aim at former President Trump, saying, “US President Trump needed to do showmanship,” marking his first public comments since the cease-fire started on Tuesday, as cited by Daily Mail report.

So far, the cease-fire has held. Meanwhile, American and Qatari officials are trying to pull Iran back into negotiations over its nuclear program.

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HT News Desk
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