Israel planned Khamenei's killing in November 2025: Defence Minister Katz

Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had decided to eliminate Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei as early as November, and protests inside Iran later accelerated Israeli and US planning for the strike, according to reports Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday.

What did the Israel say?

In an interview with N12 News, Defence Minister Israel Katz said that the strategic objective was established during a high-level security meeting late last year.

"Already in November, we held discussions with the prime minister in a very small forum. The prime minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) set the objective to eliminate Khamenei,” Katz said.

Katz in the interview also said that the operation had initially been planned for around mid-2026.

Was US in the planning from start?

The Defence Minister also revealed that Israel first prepared to carry it out alone before discussions began with US President Donald Trump.

However, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post, the timeline was later accelerated after signs of domestic unrest in Iran. Israel reportedly shared the plan with Washington and advanced the operation to around January

Katz said "the decision to speed up the plan was driven by concerns that Iran’s leadership, under pressure at home, might launch attacks on Israeli and US targets across the Middle East."

"The protests that erupted across Iran late last year accelerated considerations in the US and Israel about striking Iran, amid concerns the pressure on the Iranian government could prompt a preemptive missile attack on Israel or US forces in the region," he said.

Khamenei was killed in the strike carried out during the opening phase of Operation Roaring Lion and Operation Epic Fury. He was killed on the last day of February after Israel and the United States launched a high-intensity military campaign against Iran.