Israel Iran war: Israel makes shocking claim on Ayatollah Khamenei, says ‘If he had…’

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei assassination attempt: Day after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that his country had delivered a “slap to America’s face” with its strike on an American base in Qatar, Israel made a shocking claim.

Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz during an interview said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was a high-priority target during the recent 12-day conflict. However, his country assassinate him as he went underground and despite thorough searching, they couldn’t locate him.

“If Khamenei had been in our sights, we would have taken him out,” Katz told Kan public television on Thursday. He explained that the Iranian leader “went very deep underground and broke off contacts with commanders,” making it “not realistic” to target him.

How Israel searched the leader?

Katz reiterated that Israel actively searched for Khamenei throughout the war. “We searched a lot,” he said on Channel 13, adding that Israel’s objective was not regime change, but to destabilise Iran’s leadership and exert pressure during the conflict.

How Khamenei evaded assassination bid?

Khamenei went underground and was hard to find during the recent 12-day conflict. Currently too the top leader is not to be seen anywhere.

When did Khamenei surface?

Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking shelter in a secret location after the outbreak of the war June 13 when Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities and targeted top military commanders and scientists.

However, Khamenei made his first appearance since June 19, on a recorded video broadcast on Iranian state television. He downplayed Sunday’s US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites using bunker-buster bombs and cruise missiles, saying that US President Donald Trump — who said the attack “completely and fully obliterated Iran’s nuclear program — had “exaggerated” its impact.

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