Israel Considered Khamenei Assassination in Operation Rising Lion, But Missed the Opportunity
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz revealed that Israel planned to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader during Operation Rising Lion but lacked the opportunity, while confirming the complete neutralization of Iran’s nuclear capabilities. He also discussed ongoing efforts to secure a hostage deal in Gaza, expressing skepticism about Hamas’s cooperation.
In a revealing interview on Channel 13 on Thursday, June 26, 2025, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz disclosed that Israel had prepared to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during Operation Rising Lion, but the opportunity never materialized. “If he had been in our sights, we would have taken him out,” Katz stated. “We wanted to eliminate Khamenei, but there was no operational opportunity.” When pressed on whether Khamenei remains a target post-ceasefire, Katz clarified, “Again, there’s a difference between before a ceasefire and after a ceasefire. During the operation, we would have taken him down.” He dismissed the need for U.S. approval, asserting, “We don’t need permission for these things.”
Katz also spoke to i24NEWS, confirming that Israel’s recent military campaign, launched on June 13, 2025, in coordination with the United States, had “unequivocally” eliminated Iran’s nuclear threat. “I say this in the clearest possible terms, Iran will not obtain nuclear capability,” he declared, emphasizing that the operation destroyed decades of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. “We thwarted over 50% of their launchers,” Katz noted, adding, “In my assessment, the Iranians won’t dare try again, they have no foundation left. We destroyed decades of capabilities. And the United States is involved as well. We, as the State of Israel, will enforce that.” The strikes targeted key sites like Natanz and Isfahan, crippling Iran’s uranium enrichment capacity by an estimated 90%, according to IDF assessments.
Addressing broader regional goals, Katz revealed, “If there had been intelligence supporting the elimination of [Iranian Supreme Leader] Khamenei, I would have given the order to act.” On the ongoing war in Gaza, he outlined Israel’s push for the Witkoff proposal, a U.S.-backed plan for Hamas to release half of the living and deceased hostages immediately, followed by a 60-day negotiation for the remaining 50 captives. “At this moment, the pressure is shifting to Gaza, with the same intensity Israel applied to Iran. I believe this is significant,” Katz said, though he expressed doubts about Hamas agreeing to a comprehensive deal.