The veil has dropped. An Israeli official made it plain. “Assassinating Khamenei is not off limits.” Few sentences carry that much weight. That message, delivered to The Wall Street Journal, signals a dramatic escalation in Israel’s campaign against Tehran.
This isn’t speculation. Israel has already taken out key figures inside Iran. Major General Mohammad Bagheri, IRGC chief Hossein Salami, and missile commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh are gone. Tehran’s defense ministry compound was leveled. Natanz no longer functions. Fordow is next in the crosshairs.
Khamenei stands alone at the top. He has ruled Iran since 1989, controlling every lever of power—from the military to foreign policy. Remove him, and the regime trembles. Israeli sources insist the operation will not end until Iran is permanently stripped of its ability to threaten Israel.
The mechanics are already in motion. Mossad’s reach inside Iran has proven deeper than Tehran could grasp. Senior commanders were eliminated inside secure zones. Convoys were hit. Facilities flattened. The Vali Amr Corps, charged with Khamenei’s protection, is now operating under emergency protocol.
Signs of panic have surfaced. A senior aide close to the Supreme Leader was reportedly executed last year, accused of funneling secrets to Mossad. Layers of trust inside the regime are crumbling, and every day brings new fractures.
This is no ordinary warfare. This is asymmetric, relentless, and personal. And it carries one very blunt message: no one is beyond reach.
Sources:
https://www.meforum.org/mef-online/will-israel-kill-irans-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/06/13/hirsh-crocker-q-a-00405637