Katz: Decision to kill Ali Khamenei was made in November
The Jerusalem Post • • world
Key Points:
- In November, Israel decided to assassinate Iran's former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, with plans initially set for mid-2026, according to Defense Minister Israel Katz.
- The operation plan was shared with the United States and accelerated to January following protests in Iran, amid fears of retaliatory attacks on Israel and US interests in the Middle East.
- Khamenei was killed in the early hours of Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury, marking the first time a country's top leader was assassinated by an airstrike.
- Israel's stated objective is to neutralize the perceived existential threat from Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and to induce regime change, despite Iran's current leadership showing no signs of stepping down.
