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Iran’s intelligence ministry has issued a stark warning that foreign adversaries, particularly the United States and Israel, are attempting to target the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a bid to destabilise the Islamic Republic.
According to a report released on Saturday by the ISNA news agency, intelligence minister Esmail Khatib claimed that “the enemy seeks to target the supreme leader, sometimes with assassination attempts, sometimes with hostile attacks”. Although he did not specify whether his comments related to a particular incident, such allegations—while common in Iranian political rhetoric—have been uncommon when referring directly to threats against Khamenei himself until a fierce 12-day conflict with Israel in June.
Khatib went on to accuse both Israel and the United States of directing such efforts, saying that anyone assisting them “knowingly or unknowingly” acts as an infiltrator working against Iran.
During the June hostilities, Israel launched strikes on key Iranian military figures, nuclear experts, sensitive facilities and even residential areas. The United States later joined the offensive, targeting several nuclear sites. Reports at the time suggested that former US President Donald Trump had refused to authorise an Israeli request to assassinate Khamenei, fearing it would trigger uncontrolled escalation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the claim but remarked that such an act would “end the conflict”.
Trump publicly declared that Iran’s supreme leader was an “easy target”, adding that the US would not seek to eliminate him “at least not for now”. He later boasted on Truth Social that he had spared Khamenei from “a very ugly and ignominious death”.
Ayatollah Khamenei, who is 86 years old, has led Iran since 1989 and holds ultimate authority over all state matters. Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, recently admitted that he feared for Khamenei’s safety during the June clashes, warning that the nation’s institutions might have turned on each other had any harm come to him.
Khamenei himself stated in July that Israel’s wartime actions were designed to weaken the Islamic Republic, provoke unrest and push Iranians onto the streets in an effort to topple the system.
Although a ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in place since 24 June, tensions remain high. Both Israel and the United States have vowed to carry out further strikes should Tehran move to revive its nuclear programme.
