Lagatar24 Desk
Tel Aviv: Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has sensationally confirmed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was an active target for elimination during the recent 12-day conflict with Iran but evaded death by going deep underground. “If Khamenei had been in our sights, we would have taken him out,” Katz said in an interview with Kan TV, underlining that the Iranian leader cut off contacts with commanders to avoid a precision strike.
No US Permission Needed
Katz clarified that Israel did not seek US approval to target Khamenei, saying, “We don’t need permission for these things.” He compared Khamenei to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated last year, warning the Iranian leader to stay hidden to survive. Katz stressed that the aim was not regime change but to weaken Iran’s leadership structure during the intense hostilities that began on June 13 and ended with a US-brokered ceasefire on June 25.
Operation Midnight Hammer And Trump’s Warning
During the conflict, Israel’s strikes killed top Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists while the US launched Operation Midnight Hammer — targeted strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt hailed it as a “total obliteration” of Iran’s enrichment infrastructure. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump had earlier threatened to kill Khamenei, stating, “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding…” though he later softened his position, saying regime change was not the goal.
Ceasefire Changes The Plan
Now that a fragile ceasefire is in place, Katz said Israel would not pursue Khamenei’s life but warned that any future Iranian provocation would be met with force. He admitted Israel does not know where all of Iran’s enriched uranium has been moved but insisted that the strikes have set back Tehran’s nuclear program “by long years.”
