Israel accused of trying to assassinate Iran's supreme leader

Israel plotted to attack a high-level meeting of Iranian officials, including heads of government, and later targeted Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a senior advisor to Khamenei has claimed, saying the Israeli plan was foiled.

"The enemy's plan in this war was to target IRGC commanders and key national centers simultaneously," Ali Larijani said in a televised interview with Press TV of Iran on Sunday. "They believed they could pressure certain officials into abandoning the establishment through threats."

Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a series of interviews aired on June 26 that Israel sought to eliminate Iran's supreme leader during its 12-day conflict with Iran, but that the opportunity never presented itself.

"If he had been in our sights, we would have taken him out," Katz told Channel 13, adding that Israel "searched a lot" for Khamenei but that the operational opportunity did not arise, The Times of Israel reported.

Larijani, who served as Parliament speaker between 2008 and 2020, said Israel attempted during the conflict to intimidate some Iranian officials, including politicians, military officers, and security personnel.

"On Friday (June 13), they contacted me and gave me 12 hours to leave Iran or get out of Tehran – or else, they said, I'd meet the same fate as martyrs like (Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein) Bagheri and (commander of Iran's top military headquarters Major General Gholam-Ali) Rashid," he was quoted as saying by Press TV.

He said he "recognized from the caller ID where it was coming from and gave them the response they deserved", he was also cited by the Iran International media outlet.

The Israeli regime launched its "unprovoked aggression on the Islamic Republic" on June 13, with, he said, United States backing, assassinating several top-ranking military commanders, about 10 atomic energy scientists, and civilians, including women and children. Iran held a state burial for those who died on June 28.

Pointing to Iran's retaliation against the US attacks on Iran's three nuclear sites, Larijani said, "out of 14 Iranian missiles, six struck the American base (in Qatar) – and they hit hard, each carrying a 400 kg warhead."

In his remarks, the Iranian senior official said the US engaged in five rounds of indirect talks with Iran prior to the aggression, solely to mislead Iran, while Israel carried out the strikes in complete coordination with Washington.

"The US used talks as a capacity for deception and military aggression," he said.

The Israeli surprise attacks on Iran came just two days before the sixth round of indirect talks, which were scheduled to take place in Muscat on June 15.

Among Israel's targets for assassination was Ali Shamkhani, a key adviser to Iran's supreme leader, who stunned observers by making his first public appearance at the state funeral on June 28, after Israeli media and officials declared him dead in the wake of the unprecedented airstrikes on Iran.

Shamkhani's home was blasted by Israeli strikes while he and his relatives were resting.

"At first, I thought it was an earthquake. I was trapped under the rubble for three hours until I heard the sound of a car. At that moment, I understood that Israel had targeted me," he stated, according to L'Orient Today. "I was alert from the first moment and tried to find an exit. I was not afraid."

Shamkhani also revealed that his wife and son were injured in the attack, adding that he was unable to speak clearly at that moment due to the pressure from the strike and the shock of the situation. He acknowledged being injured, but the Israelis had falsely claimed that his legs had been amputated.

Shamkhani also indicated that he knew why the Israelis had targeted him but could not reveal it at this stage.

"I had given them a tough lesson," he stated.

Cui Haipei in Dubai, UAE contributed to this report.