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The Pentagon’s policy chief has said that the United States was not responsible for the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli strike.
Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Elbridge Colby said on Tuesday that the strike that killed Khamenei and other top Iranian leaders was an Israeli operation, not part of the US military campaign.
When asked by lawmakers how Khamenei’s death fits with US goals, Colby stated that it was part of Israeli actions.
Colby replied, “Those are Israeli operations.”
He added that the U.S. military campaign focuses on limiting Iran’s military power, not regime change.
“The objectives of the military campaign… are focused on addressing the ability of the Islamic Republic to project military power against us, our bases, our forces, et cetera, as well as our allies and partners in the region and beyond,” he added.
He stated that the primary targets were components of the Iranian navy and Iran’s missile firepower, which he claimed had increased significantly.
These were “scoped and reasonable objectives that can be attained,” he argued.
Colby’s careful tone differed from that of President Donald Trump, who celebrated Khamenei’s death as a victory and called on the Iranian people to challenge their government.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said the U.S. only acted after learning Israel planned the strike, suggesting America’s role was reactive, not part of a plan to remove Iran’s leadership.
