Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz revealed on Friday that Tel Aviv had planned to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the recent 12-day conflict, but the chance didn’t arise.
Katz told Israel’s Channel 13 that the supreme leader’s decision to go “underground to very great depths” hampered the plan to target Khamenei because it cut off Khamenei’s direct line of communication with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders. Nonetheless, the Iranian government has insisted that Khamenei stayed actively involved in the war.
Katz stated, “There was no operational opportunity, but we wanted to eliminate Khamenei.” He denied rumors that the US had prevented the murder, stating that Israel “would not have needed permission” to take action.
The comments of Israeli Defence Minister demonstrate the extent of Israeli planning during the fighting, which came to an end earlier this week after a ceasefire mediated by the United States, and they represent a dramatic increase in rhetoric.
Since the 85-year-old cleric is not only Iran’s top political official but also a major spiritual leader for millions of Shia Muslims around the world, targeting Khamenei would have been a major step up.
Katz made these remarks in the midst of conflicting reports from US and Israeli intelligence agencies regarding the extent of the damage done to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Iranian officials have brushed off reports that the recent coordinated strikes on facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan have hurt Iran’s enrichment capabilities as being overblown.
Khamenei downplayed the impact of the air raids on Thursday, vowing to “continue the resistance” and saying that “the Americans have greatly exaggerated the extent of the damage.”
