Iran warns of attempts to target Khamenei
Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib has warned of American and Israeli attempts to target Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei or to stir unrest within Iran, according to local media reports.
Khatib, as reported by the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) on Saturday evening, said that the Supreme Leader is the “pillar,” and “for this reason, the enemies seek to target him and carry out actions that threaten this axis of unity.”
It was unclear whether the minister was referring to a specific incident or plot, but Iranian officials frequently speak of foreign conspiracies, often attributing them to the United States and Israel. However, direct references to the Supreme Leader’s personal security have been rare, until the Iran-Israel war last summer.
On June 13, Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Iran, triggering a 12-day war in which the United States briefly participated by striking three major Iranian nuclear facilities.
On November 11, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he feared for Khamenei’s life in June during the war, warning that the leader’s assassination, if it had occurred, could have caused internal divisions.
Pezeshkian added in a video broadcast by official media, “I wasn’t afraid for myself, I was afraid that the Supreme Leader might be harmed, and that we would start disputing among ourselves.”
Ali Khamenei, 86, has held his position since 1989, succeeding Ayatollah Khomeini. He has the final say on all strategic matters of the Islamic Republic. American and Israeli officials have repeatedly threatened to assassinate him.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—wanted by the International Criminal Court—told AC News during the war that killing the Supreme Leader “would not escalate the conflict, but end it.”
Similarly, former U.S. President Donald Trump called killing Khamenei “an easy target,” but said Washington “would not do it, at least for now.”
Khamenei did not make any public appearances during the war, delivering speeches in recorded messages with no one appearing beside him.
Since the ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect on June 24, the Supreme Leader has significantly reduced his public appearances.
