Satellite image of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his palace (right)

Was Israel planning to assassinate Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as early as November 2025? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Israeli Defense Minister Katz said on Thursday that Israel planned to carry out the assassination mission of Iran’s supreme leader in a “very small forum” last November.Khamenei was eventually killed on the last day of February after Israel and the United States launched an intense military campaign against Iran.

Katz added that the attack was accelerated by massive anti-regime protests in the Islamic Republic, creating favorable conditions for U.S. and Israeli operations in Iran.

Katz made the remarks during a round of interviews with Hebrew-language media. In an interview with Channel 12, Katz said a select group of officials met with Netanyahu in “a very small forum” in November 2025 about the possibility of assassinating Khamenei. Khamenei was killed in an Israeli attack on Saturday, the first day of the ongoing US-Israeli campaign against the Iranian regime.

Katz: Israel planned Khamenei attack earlier, but timetable later sped up

Israel Katz said Israel initially planned to launch an operation against Ali Khamenei in mid-2026, possibly in June.Katz said Israel did not immediately share the plan with the United States. Jerusalem operates ‘on the assumption we might have to carry it’ [the assassination] We go out on our own. “US-Israel vs Iran: Live updatesHowever, the situation changed after anti-government protests broke out across Iran in late December. Katz said that during this period, there was “some kind of dialogue” between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Protests raise urgency, safety concerns

The protests have plunged the Islamic Republic into chaos. Thousands of demonstrators have reportedly been killed by regime forces, with activist groups estimating the death toll to be in the tens of thousands.Katz said both Israel and the United States were surprised by the scale of the unrest. He explained that the situation raised concerns in Israel that the Iranian leadership might launch a pre-emptive strike before Israel could take action.“It took everyone by surprise. Not only did the unrest create opportunity, it also raised serious concerns at the time, as the protests put pressure on the regime to launch preemptive missile strikes against Israel and U.S. forces in the region,” he said.

Washington and Jerusalem begin joint planning

Amid these developments, discussions have also begun between Washington and Jerusalem about overthrowing Iran’s leadership.Katz said that at that time, the two countries agreed to “cooperate to determine the objectives of operations against Iran.” They also began discussing “creating the conditions for the Iranian people to begin taking action to overthrow the regime; we begin to advance these goals.”Katz said coordination between the two allies quickly expanded.“There’s joint planning and then there’s the joint operational planning process,” he said.He denied that either country pressured the other to carry out the attack, saying both governments acted independently based on their assessment of the threat posed to Iran.Katz praised Netanyahu, saying he believed “the only person in the world, the only leader who can build this kind of cooperation with President Trump is Benjamin Netanyahu.”

On renewed conflict with Iran

In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12, reporter Dana Weiss asked Katz why Israel was once again targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile programs despite previous claims that those programs had been significantly weakened.“We met here after Operation Lion,” Weiss said. “You may remember what you said there: ‘I can say with certainty that Iran is not going to have a nuclear weapon because of what we’ve done.'”Weiss noted that Katz had previously said it would take “years” for Iran to rebuild its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, but Israel has struck again at those programs while still facing Iranian missile attacks.In response to criticism, Katz defended his previous actions.“We eliminated the Iranian nuclear program and have had it for many years,” he said, adding that Israel was now taking action to prevent Iran from rebuilding those capabilities.

Regime change is seen as a possibility, not as a primary goal

Asked whether Israel could face another war with Iran within months, Katz gave no clear timeline. Instead, he said the current military operation is much broader than previous operations.He said the ongoing attack on Iran was using “more than three times the force” of previous conflicts.“I hope this will end with the Iranian people overthrowing the regime,” he said.In a separate interview with Kan public broadcaster, journalist Suleiman Maswad asked Katz whether the war would continue until Iran’s leadership was completely replaced.Katz said the outcome ultimately depends on the Iranian people.“Our goal is to destroy Iran’s ability to resume its nuclear program, destroy its ability to resume producing large numbers of ballistic missiles, destroy its ability to aid all of its proxies in the region, and resume its campaign to destroy Israel,” Katz said.“And the issue of regime collapse and change, that’s what we expect and hope the Iranian people will achieve.”

U.S. and Israel align on military goals

Katz’s comments appeared to reflect the broader goals outlined by Washington. The United States says the goals of the military operation include destroying Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and naval power, preventing it from acquiring nuclear weapons and ending its support for regional proxy groups.

At the outset of the joint US-Israeli attack, Donald Trump also addressed the Iranian public directly.He urged them to “take over your government” after the military campaign ends, adding: “It will be yours to take over. This may be your only chance in generations.”