Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that Israel would have assassinated Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the recent war if the military had found the chance. Speaking to public radio Kan, Katz claimed, “If he had been in our sights, we would have taken him out.”
Katz said that Khamenei went underground during the 12-day conflict, cutting off communication with commanders to avoid detection. “He understood the threat and disappeared very deep underground,” Katz explained. This made an Israeli operation “unrealistic,” despite serious efforts to locate him.
In interviews with Channel 13 and Channel 12, Katz stated Israel has now paused such assassination plans, following the June 24 ceasefire. However, he warned Khamenei to “stay in the bunker,” referencing how Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had previously hidden before being killed by Israel in 2024.
Katz also claimed that Israel’s strikes had significantly damaged Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, although he admitted that not all enriched uranium locations were known. “The material itself wasn’t supposed to be neutralized,” he said. Israel still maintains aerial superiority and remains prepared to strike again.
The war, which lasted from June 13 to June 24, was triggered by Israel’s preemptive bombing campaign to stop Iran from allegedly developing nuclear weapons—an accusation Iran has long denied. Both sides claimed victory after the ceasefire, but the full impact of Israeli and U.S. strikes remains under debate.