Iran’s intelligence ministry has issued warnings about foreign adversaries, such as the United States and Israel, trying to target Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and destabilise the Islamic republic, AFP reported, citing the country’s ISNA news agency.
A handout picture provided by the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows him addressing a meeting with students in Tehran on November 3, 2025. (AFP)
According to ISNA, intelligence minister Esmail Khatib has cautioned that “the enemy seeks to target the supreme leader, sometimes with assassination attempts, sometimes with hostile attacks”.
Although it is unclear if the minister was referencing a particular incident, AFP reported that threats against Khamenei’s life had been rare before the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June.
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“Those who act in this direction, knowingly or unknowingly, are the infiltrating agents of the enemy,” Khatib said, referring directly to Israel and the United States.
During the conflict between Iran and Israel earlier this year, Israel had targeted senior Iranian military officials, nuclear scientists and sites as well as residential areas. The US, too, had joined in later with strikes on key nuclear facilities.
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At the time, Trump had said that Iran’s supreme leader was a “very easy target” and that “we are not going to take him out, at least not for now.”
He later said in a post on Truth Social he had saved Iran’s supreme leader from “A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH”.
In July, Israel defense minister Israel Katz had threatened Iran, saying that Tel Aviv can target Tehran “once again” and would target Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “personally”.
The 86-year-old Khamenei has been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989 and has the final say on all state affairs.
Earlier this month, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed particular concern for Khamenei’s safety during the war and worried that the country’s institutions might begin to clash.