Katz speaks on plans to prepare operation against Iran

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has talked about the plans to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Report informs via Reuters.

"We were already in November when we sat with the prime minister (of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu) in a very small forum, and the prime minister set a goal to eliminate the Khamenei regime in November. In November, in consultation with the IDF and the Mossad, the target was ultimately set for the middle of the current year, meaning May or June, to carry this out. Because that was the conclusion based on the insights and results from Am Kalavi (Israel's previous operation against Iran, which took place in the summer of 2025 - ed.)," he noted.

"We achieved amazing results in Am Kalavi. We thwarted the nuclear program. We thwarted the missile program. But we needed to ensure they would not restore those capabilities. There was dialogue between the prime minister and the president of the United States in meetings. A kind of dialogue began, and then the riots started in Iran. But there was also a serious concern at that time that, as a result of the regime's pressure due to the riots, Iran would launch a pre-emptive strike against the State of Israel and against American forces in the region. They had organised plans which we monitored and knew about. It became clear that there was a need to advance the operation," he added.