Israel: Next Iranian Leader Who Threatens Us Will End Like Khamenei

JERUSALEM, Jul 6: Israel has warned that any future Iranian leader who seeks to destroy the country will face the same fate as former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who Israeli officials say was killed in a targeted operation.

Speaking on Monday as funeral ceremonies for Khamenei took place in Tehran, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would act decisively against any leader who poses an existential threat to the country.

"Khamenei was assassinated by Israel because he set in motion and led the plan to destroy Israel," Katz said.

"The assassin was assassinated," he added. "Any Iranian leader who tries to push plans to destroy Israel again will also be thwarted."

Katz also condemned recent calls from hardline voices in Iran for retaliation against US President Donald Trump, describing the statements as "a disgrace" and saying they exposed "the true nature of the ayatollah regime."

The defense minister said the recent joint US-Israel strikes on Iran had eliminated the immediate threat of Israel's destruction and inflicted severe damage on Iran's strategic military capabilities.

Despite that, Katz stressed that Israel remains on high alert and is prepared to respond to any future threats.

"We are prepared to defend ourselves at any time and against any threat," he said.

His remarks come amid heightened tensions across the Middle East following Khamenei's death and amid growing calls from Iranian hardliners for revenge, raising concerns over the risk of further escalation between Israel and Iran.