Iran’s intelligence ministry has claimed there were attempts by foreign adversaries, including the United States and Israel, to target Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and destabilize the Islamic Republic.
The country’s ISNA news agency reported on Saturday that Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib cautioned that “the enemy seeks to target the supreme leader, sometimes with assassination attempts, sometimes with hostile attacks.”
“Those who act in this direction, knowingly or unknowingly, are the infiltrating agents of the enemy,” Khatib added, referring directly to Israel and the United States.
While it was not immediately clear if the minister was referring to a specific incident, and Iranian officials often allege foreign plots, statements on threats against Khamenei’s life had been rare prior to the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June.
Israel said its sweeping assault on Iran’s top military leaders, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment sites, and ballistic missile program was necessary to prevent the Islamic Republic from realizing its avowed plan to destroy Israel. Iran retaliated by launching over 500 ballistic missiles and around 1,100 drones at Israel.
Iran has consistently denied seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. However, it has enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities. Israel said Iran had also taken steps toward weaponization.
Israeli security and rescue forces at the scene where a ballistic missile fired from Iran hit and caused damage in Tel Aviv, June 22, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
During the war, there were reports that US President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei out of concern it would escalate the situation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was dismissive of the reports, but said the move would be a surefire way “end the conflict.”
At the time, Trump also said that Iran’s supreme leader was a “very easy target” and that “we are not going to take him out, at least not for now.”
He later said in a post on Truth Social that he had saved Iran’s supreme leader from “A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH.”
The 86-year-old Khamenei has been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989 and has the final say on all state affairs.
Earlier this month, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said he had been particularly concerned for Khamenei’s life during the war and feared that the country’s institutions “would start fighting among each other.”
