Katz says Israel ‘would have taken out’ Khamenei if given the chance

During Operation Rising Lion, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called Iran’s leader Ali Khamenei, a “modern Hitler” who “cannot continue to exist.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told Israel’s Channel 13 news that Israel “would have taken out Khamenei” if given the opportunity, and that they “searched a lot.”

At the beginning of the 12-day military action against Iran known as Operation Rising Lion, Katz called Iran’s leader Ali Khamenei a “modern Hitler” who “cannot continue to exist.”

Katz said, “If he had been in our sights, we would have taken him out.” He added that Khamenei was aware of this and stayed hidden in his bunker.

“Khamenei understood this, went very deep underground, broke off contact with the commanders… so in the end it wasn’t realistic,” Katz told Israel’s public broadcater Kan.

Referring to US President Donald Trump’s reported warning to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to kill Khamenei, Katz said, “Israel doesn’t need permission for these things.”

However, Trump toyed with the threat of assassinating Iran’s religious leader and posted on social media, “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.”

When asked if Israel would continue to seek the opportunity to kill Khamenei, Katz said the ceasefire has changed Israel’s approach.

There’s a difference — before the ceasefire, after the ceasefire,” Katz said, although he also issued an indirect threat to Khamenei, comparing him to Hezbollah leader head Hassan Nasrallah, who Israel assassinated on September 27, 2024.-

“I wouldn’t recommend that he take it easy,” Katz said. “He should learn from the late Nasrallah, who stayed for a long time deep in the bunker. I recommend that he do the same thing.”

On Thursday, Khamenei made a video appearance on Iranian state television for the first time since the war against Israel began on June 13.

Khamenei claimed that the war was a victory for Iran and that it “delivered a hand slap to America’s face,” adding that the US intervened because it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed.”

Israel and the United States carried out coordinated strikes that resulted in significant damage to Iranian military infrastructure, including its nuclear facilities, according to officials and regional reports.