Israel Declares Iran’s Next Supreme Leader a Target for Elimination

Defense Minister Israel Katz declared Wednesday that any new Supreme Leader appointed by Iran’s regime will be targeted for assassination, as reports mount that Mojtaba Khamenei is the leading candidate to succeed his father.

“Any leader appointed by the Iranian terror regime to continue advancing the plan to destroy Israel, threaten the United States and the free world, and suppress the Iranian people will be a clear target for elimination,” Katz said.

The statement comes along with growing uncertainty in Tehran over who will replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28. Multiple reports have described Mojtaba Khamenei, the former leader’s son, as the leading contender for the position, though no official announcement has been made.

Iran’s government has publicly rejected claims that a successor has already been chosen. In a statement posted on X by the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Mumbai, officials said: “Reports circulating on media regarding potential candidates for leadership selected by Iran's Assembly of Experts have no official source and are officially denied.”

Katz made clear that Israel’s warning applies regardless of who ultimately assumes the role. “It does not matter what his name is or where he hides,” he said.

He added that “the Prime Minister and I have instructed the IDF to prepare and act by all means necessary to carry out this mission as an integral part of the objectives of Operation Roaring Lion.”

Israeli military officials have framed the succession developments as unfolding alongside an ongoing campaign to degrade Iran’s strategic capabilities. Overnight, the IDF said it carried out wide-ranging strikes against infrastructure tied to the Iranian regime, including ballistic missile storage and launch facilities in Isfahan.

IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin issued a separate warning to senior Iranian regime officials operating from Lebanon. “We know where you sleep,” he said. “We are tracking you everywhere. No compound or bunker in Lebanon will grant you immunity from the power of the IDF.”

According to Israeli officials, the broader objective of the campaign is to dismantle the regime’s military capabilities and limit its ability to threaten Israel and its allies, regardless of their geographic location. Katz reiterated that goal in his closing remarks. “We will continue to act with full force, together with our American partners, to dismantle the regime’s capabilities and create the conditions for the Iranian people to overthrow it and replace it.”