- Minister Khatib does not immediately refer to any specific incident.
- “Those who act in this direction are agents of the enemy,” Khatib explains.
- During the war, the United States vetoed an Israeli plan to kill the supreme leader.
Iran’s Intelligence Ministry has warned of attempts by foreign adversaries, including the United States and Israel, to target Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and destabilize the Islamic republic.
The country ISNA The news agency reported Saturday that Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib warned that “the enemy seeks to target the supreme leader, sometimes through assassination attempts, sometimes through hostile attacks.”
Although it was not immediately clear whether the minister was referring to a specific incident, and Iranian officials often allege foreign plots, reports of threats to Khamenei’s life were rare ahead of a 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June.
“Those who act in this direction, knowingly or unknowingly, are the infiltrators of the enemy,” Khatib added, referring directly to Israel and the United States.
During the conflict earlier this year, Israel targeted senior Iranian military officials, scientists and nuclear sites as well as residential areas, with the United States later joining strikes against key nuclear facilities.
Asked about reports during the war that US President Donald Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill the supreme leader, fearing it would escalate the Iran-Israel confrontation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was dismissive but said the move would “end the conflict.”
At the time, Trump also said that Iran’s supreme leader was a “very easy target” and that “we’re not going to eliminate him, at least not yet.”
He later said in an article on Truth Social that he saved Iran’s Supreme Leader from a “VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINEOUS DEATH.”
Khamenei, 86, has been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989 and has the final say on all state affairs.
Earlier this month, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he was particularly concerned about Khamenei’s life during the war and feared that the country’s institutions would “start fighting among themselves.”
In July, Khamenei said Israeli attacks during the war were aimed at weakening the Islamic republic, sowing “unrest and bringing people to the streets to overthrow the system.”
A ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in effect since June 24, but Israel and the United States have threatened further strikes if Tehran restarts its nuclear program.
