Katz on Khamenei: If he had been in our sights, we would have taken him out

'Israel’s' Defense Minister Israel Katz has said the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) would have killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the recent war had the opportunity arisen.

Speaking to Kan public radio on Thursday night, Katz declared, "If he had been in our sights, we would have taken him out."

According to Katz, the IOF actively searched for Khamenei throughout the war, but he had gone into deep hiding.

"Khamenei understood this, went very deep underground, broke off contact with the commanders... so in the end it wasn't realistic," he said.

In separate remarks to Channel 13, Katz indicated that targeted assassination efforts had now ceased due to the end of active hostilities. "There is a difference between before the ceasefire and after the ceasefire." 

Katz, who had previously said Khamenei "can no longer be allowed to exist," acknowledged that such plans were no longer being pursued. His earlier comments came after reports suggested Washington had blocked 'Israeli' efforts to carry out an assassination.

Still, Katz warned the Iranian leader to stay underground, referencing Hezbollah’s former leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by 'Israel' in an airstrike on Beirut in 2024. "He should learn from the late Nasrallah, who sat for a long time deep in the bunker," Katz said.