Iran: Warnings of American and Israeli Attempts to Target the Supreme Leader

SadaNews - The Iranian Minister of Intelligence warned of American and Israeli attempts to target the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, or to incite unrest within Iran, according to local media.

Khamenei is 86 years old and has held his position since 1989, succeeding Ayatollah Khomeini. He is considered the final decision-maker in all strategic matters of the Islamic Republic.

Minister Esmail Khatib said, as reported by the "ISNA" agency on Saturday evening, that the Supreme Leader is the "cornerstone" and that "enemies seek to target him and carry out actions that threaten this axis of unity".

It was unclear whether Khatib was referring to a specific incident or a particular plot, but Iranian officials have frequently discussed "foreign conspiracies" often attributed to the United States and Israel. However, direct references to the security of the Supreme Leader himself are rare, especially before the Israeli war on Iran.

On June 13, Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Iran, igniting a war that lasted 12 days, in which the United States briefly participated by targeting three major Iranian nuclear facilities.

On November 11, Iranian President Masoud Bezhakian expressed concern over the possibility of Khamenei being assassinated during that war, stating that such an assassination would cause significant internal divisions.

He added in a video clip broadcast by official media: "I was not afraid for myself, I was afraid that the leader would be harmed and that we would fight among ourselves." During the war, American and Israeli officials repeatedly threatened to assassinate the leader.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in an interview with "ABC News" that killing the leader "would not escalate the conflict, but would end it." U.S. President Donald Trump also stated that Khamenei was an "easy target," adding that Washington "would not kill him, for now at least."

Khamenei did not appear publicly during the war, limiting himself to recorded speeches that he delivered alone. Since the cease-fire came into effect on June 24, the Supreme Leader has significantly reduced his public appearances.