Tel Aviv, 27June

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said that his country wanted to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the recent 12-day conflict, according to a report by Al Jazeera.

Speaking to Israel's Channel 13, Katz said on Thursday that Israel did not require US permission to carry out such an operation, countering earlier media reports that suggested Washington had vetoed the assassination.

"We wanted to eliminate Khamenei, but there was no operational opportunity," Katz said. Al Jazeera reported that Katz claimed Khamenei was aware of the threat and went into deep hiding, cutting communication with commanders who had replaced Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leaders killed in the initial wave of Israeli strikes.

While Khamenei released video messages during the conflict, no evidence confirms that he was cut off from his military commanders. Katz's comments point to what would have been a major escalation, as Khamenei serves as Iran's de facto head of state and a central spiritual figure for millions of Shia Muslims globally.

Al Jazeera also reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former US President Donald Trump had earlier hinted that the war could lead to regime change in Iran. Trump had posted on social media that the conflict could "MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN."

The remarks came amid mixed assessments of the damage to Iran's nuclear infrastructure following US strikes on key sites including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Khamenei stated on Thursday that the US had "exaggerated" the extent of the damage.

According to Al Jazeera, Katz asserted that Israel had a "green light" from Trump to strike Iran again should its nuclear activities resume. "I do not see a situation where Iran will restore the nuclear facilities after the attack," he said.

Netanyahu echoed the sentiment, saying the war had created a "window of opportunity" for advancing diplomatic ties with Arab nations. "We have fought with determination against Iran and achieved a great victory. This victory opens the path to dramatically enlarge the peace accords," he said in a video message, referring to the Abraham Accords signed in 2020.

Al Jazeera further noted that the 12-day war concluded with a US-brokered ceasefire following Iran's retaliatory missile attack on Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts American troops. Iran also declared victory, stating that it had thwarted Israeli goals and forced Netanyahu to halt the offensive following missile strikes that caused widespread damage in Israel.