Iran alerts to attempts on Supreme Leader Khamenei’s safety

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Iran’s intelligence agency has issued a warning about foreign adversaries, including the U.S. and Israel, attempting to target Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and destabilize the country. On Saturday, the ISNA news agency quoted Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, who expressed concern that these enemies may carry out assassination attempts or conduct hostile attacks against Khamenei. While it’s unclear if Khatib was referencing a specific incident, reports of foreign plots are common, though threats against Khamenei had been infrequent until the recent 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in June. Khatib emphasized that any individuals acting in this direction, knowingly or unknowingly, are considered foreign infiltrators, specifically implicating Israel and the U.S.

During the recent conflict, Israel targeted high-ranking Iranian military officials, nuclear scientists, and strategic sites, along with residential areas. The U.S., later on, joined with strikes against key Iranian nuclear facilities. When asked about reports that then-President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei out of fear of escalating the Iran-Israel conflict, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the reports but claimed that such an action would have “ended the conflict.” Trump had previously described Iran’s leader as a “very easy target,” stating that he would not take him out “for now,” though later claimed to have prevented Khamenei from meeting a “very ugly and ignominious death.”

Khamenei, 86, has been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, holding final authority over all state matters. Earlier this month, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed particular concern for Khamenei’s safety amid the war, warning that Iran’s institutions might start turning against each other. In July, Khamenei accused Israel’s attacks during the conflict of aiming to weaken Iran, stir unrest, and incite protests to overthrow the regime. While a ceasefire has been in place since June 24, both Israel and the U.S. have threatened new strikes if Iran revitalizes its nuclear activities.