Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, declared that the nation would have eliminated Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the recent conflict between the two countries if the chance had presented itself.
“If he had been in our sights, we would have taken him out,” Katz told Israel’s public radio station, Kan, on Thursday evening. He noted that the military had “searched a lot.”
Katz stated that Khamenei was conscious of the danger and went into deep seclusion. “He went very deep underground, broke off contact with the commanders… so in the end, it wasn’t realistic,” he remarked.
In a later discussion with Channel 13, Katz mentioned that Israel had ceased its assassination efforts after the ceasefire. “There is a difference between before the ceasefire and after the ceasefire,” he clarified.
During the conflict, Katz had proclaimed that Khamenei “can no longer be allowed to exist,” a comment made after reports indicated that the U.S. had blocked Israeli plans to target him.
On Kan, Katz also delivered a stern warning: “He should stay inside a bunker. He should learn from the late Nasrallah,” referring to former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in a Beirut airstrike in September 2024.
Khamenei’s whereabouts have long been cloaked in secrecy, and he has not departed Iran since taking power. Katz stressed that Israel maintains air superiority over Iran and is ready to act again if necessary. “We won’t let Iran develop nuclear weapons or threaten us with long-range missiles,” he asserted.
In a conversation with Channel 12, Katz acknowledged that Israel lacks precise knowledge of all of Iran’s enriched uranium locations. Nonetheless, he maintained that Israeli airstrikes had severely impaired Iran’s nuclear enrichment infrastructure.
“The material itself wasn’t what we were targeting,” he said. “But the infrastructure needed to process it has been hit hard.”
The impact of Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear program remains a topic of discussion. A leaked U.S. intelligence report suggested that Iran’s program was delayed by only a few months, while Israeli and American officials argued that the damage could take years to restore.
The 12-day war between the two nations concluded with a ceasefire on June 24, with both sides declaring victory.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli