Tel Aviv, June 27, 2025 — Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has made a striking revelation that Israel would have targeted and killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the recent 12-day aerial conflict between the two nations, had the opportunity arisen.
Speaking to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan on Thursday evening, Katz stated, “If he had been in our sights, we would have taken him out,” adding that Israeli forces actively searched for the Iranian leader during the conflict but failed to locate him.
“Khamenei understood this, went very deep underground, broke off contact with the commanders… so in the end it wasn’t realistic,” he said.
The remarks come just days after a fragile ceasefire ended a fierce air war that erupted on June 13, sparked by Israeli strikes aimed at halting what it claims is Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons — an allegation Tehran has repeatedly denied.
In parallel comments to Channel 13, Katz indicated a halt to further assassination efforts following the truce. “There is a difference between before the ceasefire and after the ceasefire,” he said, suggesting that direct action against Khamenei would no longer be pursued unless provoked.
Nonetheless, Katz issued a pointed warning to Iran’s leadership, particularly Khamenei. “He should learn from the late Nasrallah, who sat for a long time deep in the bunker,” he said, referring to former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who was reportedly killed by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut in September 2024 — a major blow to Iran’s regional proxy network.
Khamenei, who has ruled Iran since 1989, is known for his secretive movements and has not left Iran since assuming power. His exact location remains one of the most closely guarded secrets in the Islamic Republic.
In further comments to Channel 12, Katz said Israel retains aerial superiority over Iran and is prepared to strike again if necessary. “We won’t let Iran develop nuclear weapons and threaten Israel with long-range missiles,” he declared.
When pressed about the effectiveness of recent Israeli and U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, Katz acknowledged that not all of Iran’s enriched uranium has been accounted for.
“The material itself was not something that was supposed to be neutralised,” he said, adding that the primary goal was to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment capabilities.
The effectiveness of the joint U.S.-Israeli air campaign remains debated. A leaked U.S. intelligence assessment reportedly concluded that the strikes had set Iran’s nuclear programme back by only a few months. However, Israeli officials, including Katz, insist that the damage is more severe and will take Iran years to repair.
Both nations have claimed victory following the ceasefire on June 24, though tensions remain high amid uncertainty about future confrontations.
The latest remarks from Katz underscore the volatility of the Israel-Iran conflict and highlight how close the region came to an unprecedented escalation.