Iran’s Intelligence Chief Accuses US and Israel of Plotting to Assassinate Khamenei
Iran’s intelligence chief, Esmail Khatib, has accused the United States and Israel of plotting to assassinate Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to the ISNA news agency. The allegations come amid heightened regional tensions following the recent 12-day war between Israel and Iran. Khatib warned that such plots could involve infiltrating agents within Israel’s own institutions, citing the arrest of an Israeli Air Force officer accused of spying for Iran.
The claims follow a period of intense conflict between Israel and Iran, during which Israeli strikes killed several senior Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists before a US-brokered ceasefire on June 24. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had justified the attacks as necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, a stance supported by Washington, which joined Israeli raids on Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22. Tehran, which denies seeking a nuclear weapon, condemned the strikes as unprovoked.
Khatib reportedly warned that those who act in this direction, knowingly or unknowingly, are the infiltrating agents of the enemy. He further stated that Israel was grappling with an epidemic of infiltration and espionage for Iran within its own institutions, citing the recent arrest of an Israeli Air Force officer accused of spying for Tehran. Khatib claimed Iran had obtained secret nuclear information and other highly sensitive security documents. According to Khatib, the intelligence breach, coupled with Iran’s firm posture during the 12-day war, indicated shifting regional power dynamics.
Earlier in the year, Netanyahu dismissed reports of a US plan to assassinate Khamenei, claiming such an action would ‘end the conflict.’ Former US President Donald Trump had previously suggested that Khamenei was an ‘easy target,’ sparking further controversy. Trump had stated that Khamenei was ‘very easy to get to’ and that Washington would not ‘take him out, at least not for now,’ later declaring on Truth Social that he had spared the Iranian leader from ‘A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH.’
Khamenei, 86, has been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989 and holds final authority over all state affairs. The ongoing tensions, including the allegations of assassination plots, underscore the precariousness of the region’s geopolitical landscape, with Iran and Israel continuing to clash over ideological and strategic differences, while the United States remains a key player in the region’s power dynamics.