Killing Khamenei: The One Strike That Could Ignite the World

Reading Time: 4 minutes As tensions between Israel and Iran reach an apex in June 2025 following devastating Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, speculation is swirling in global intelligence circles: Could the conflict escalate to the point where Israel targets Ayatollah Ali Khamenei himself? The notion is not new. Twice during Donald Trump’s presidency, Israeli officials reportedly broached the possibility of assassinating the Iranian Supreme Leader. Trump declined. And with good reason. But in today’s volatile environment fuelled by drone strikes on Natanz, retaliatory attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq, the destruction of Haifa’s port terminal by Hezbollah, and the complete collapse of JCPOA diplomacy the unthinkable has inched dangerously closer to possibility. While the operational capacity to strike Iran’s most guarded individual exists, so too does the capability to plunge the entire Middle East into uncontainable chaos. The Scenario According to regional defence sources consulted by Haaretz and