Iran’s intelligence chief, Esmail Khatib, has accused the United States and Israel of plotting to assassinate Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to ISNA. The allegations come amid heightened tensions following a 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June, where Israeli strikes killed several Iranian officials and nuclear scientists. Khatib warned that such actions are part of a broader strategy to destabilize Iran, with the U.S. and Israel allegedly seeking to undermine the country’s leadership.
The accusations follow recent claims that the U.S. may have vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei during the conflict, with former President Donald Trump stating that such a strike would ‘end the conflict.’ The tensions underscore a deepening regional conflict over Iran’s nuclear program and the role of international actors in the region.
Khatib reportedly warned that ‘those who act in this direction, knowingly or unknowingly, are the infiltrating agents of the enemy.’ He added 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 reportedly claimed that Iran had obtained secret nuclear information and other highly sensitive security documents.
According to Khatib, the intelligence breach, coupled with what he described as Iran’s firm posture during the 12-day war, pointed to shifting regional power dynamics. Earlier this year, Netanyahu brushed off reports that U.S. President Donald Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Iran’s supreme leader during the war, while adding that such a strike would ‘end the conflict.’ Trump had claimed Khamenei was a ‘very easy target’ 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 has final authority over all state affairs.