Israels Defense Minister, Israel Katz, has stated that the country would have killed Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the recent war between the two nations if the opportunity had arisen. If he had been in our sights, we would have taken him out, Katz told Israels public radio station, Kan, on Thursday evening. He added that the military had searched a lot. According to Katz, Khamenei was aware of the threat and went into deep hiding. He went very deep underground, broke off contact with the commanders so in the end, it wasnt realistic, he said.Speaking later to Channel 13, Katz said that Israel had halted its assassination attempts following the ceasefire. There is a difference between before the ceasefire and after the ceasefire, he explained.During the war, Katz had declared that Khamenei can no longer be allowed to exist, a statement that followed reports suggesting the U.S. had vetoed Israeli plans to target him.On Kan, Katz also issued a warning: He should stay inside a bunker. He should learn from the late Nasrallah, referencing former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in a Beirut airstrike in September 2024. Khameneis movements have long been shrouded in secrecy, and he has not left Iran since assuming power. Katz emphasized that Israel retains aerial superiority over Iran and remains prepared to act again. We wont let Iran develop nuclear weapons or threaten us with long-range missiles, he said. In an interview with Channel 12, Katz admitted that Israel does not know the exact locations of all of Irans enriched uranium. However, he insisted that Israeli airstrikes had significantly damaged Irans nuclear enrichment capabilities.The material itself wasnt what we were targeting, he said. But the infrastructure needed to process it has been hit hard.The effectiveness of Israeli and U.S. strikes on Irans nuclear program remains a subject of debate. A leaked U.S. intelligence report estimated that Irans program had been set back by only a few months, while Israeli and American officials claimed the damage could take years to repair.The 12-day conflict between the two countries ended with a ceasefire on June 24, with both sides claiming victory.
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