Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz revealed that the decision to eliminate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was finalized in November 2025. In an interview with Israel’s N12 TV, Katz stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set the high-stakes goal during a restricted security forum, originally scheduling the operation for mid-2026. However, the timeline was accelerated to January 2026 after widespread protests in Iran led Israeli intelligence to fear the clerical regime might launch preemptive strikes against U.S. and Israeli assets.
Israel took the decision to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in November and was planning to carry out the operation around six months later, Defense Minister Israel Katz said https://t.co/KUHOiibtwK pic.twitter.com/zq1DerhZ4S
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 6, 2026
The assassination, which occurred during the opening hours of the joint U.S.-Israeli air campaign last Saturday, marks the first time a sitting head of state has been killed by an airstrike. Katz emphasized that the mission’s broader objectives are to dismantle Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities while forcing a total regime change. While the “broad wave” of strikes has successfully “decapitated” the Iranian leadership, Katz acknowledged that the remaining clerical rulers have yet to show signs of surrendering power despite the ongoing regional war.
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As the conflict nears the end of its first week, the revelation of this months-long plan underscores the calculated nature of “Operation Epic Fury.” The war has already spread to Lebanon, the Gulf, and the Indian Ocean, with the death toll in Iran surpassing 1,200. With the U.S. and Israel now openly targeting the internal stability of the Islamic Republic, the international community remains on high alert as the vacuum left by Khamenei’s death triggers a violent and unpredictable succession crisis.
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