An Israeli official has told The Wall Street Journal that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is “not off limits” as Israel escalates its campaign against Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure.
Echoing the sentiment, Israeli Channel 12 quoted an unnamed political source as saying that Israel is not ruling out the possibility of "eliminating Ali Khamenei," though such a move would depend on several factors.
This comes amid reports of Israeli airstrikes that have killed nine key nuclear scientists and senior IRGC generals in recent days. Israeli officials have hinted that more strikes are imminent, aimed at permanently degrading Iran’s ability to build a nuclear weapon.
The Israeli official claimed that the recent attacks had already caused significant damage, including structural collapse at the Natanz nuclear facility, which houses thousands of advanced centrifuges.
Also Read: Iran launches new barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel; sirens sound in Tel Aviv
“The war would only end either with Iran voluntarily dismantling its nuclear program or Israel making it impossible for Tehran to reconstitute it,” the official told the Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, the White House responded cautiously, with a senior US official reaffirming Washington’s preference for a diplomatic resolution to the nuclear issue. However, the source acknowledged that "the current military actions cannot be undone," pointing to the growing complexity of restoring dialogue.
In a related development, Oman confirmed the postponement of scheduled US-Iran nuclear talks, originally set for Sunday. The delay underscores how fast-escalating military tensions are derailing diplomatic efforts to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table.
On the other hand, Israeli airstrikes have reportedly targeted key defense infrastructure in Iran’s capital, including the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Support, as well as the Defense Research and Innovation Organization (Sapand).
According to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the strikes occurred late Saturday night in the Nobonyad area of northern Tehran, causing minor structural damage to one of the ministry's office buildings. No casualties have been reported.
Also Read: Israel attacks world's largest gas field in Iran; production partly suspended
The report claimed Israeli aircraft were behind the attack, marking a rare and bold move to strike deep inside Tehran. In addition to the ministry’s headquarters, the Sapand facility, which is affiliated with Iran's defense research wing, was also hit in a separate strike in the same vicinity.
Iranian defense sources confirmed that the damage was limited and that operations at the affected sites remain largely unaffected.
Hours ago, Iran partially suspended gas production at the world's biggest gas field after an Israeli strike caused a fire there, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, in what would be the first Israeli strike on Iran's oil and gas sector.
Also Read: Israeli airstrikes hit Iran’s Defense Ministry in Tehran
Iran shares the South Pars gas field with Qatar. Striking it would mark a major escalation in the conflict, which had already pushed oil prices up 9% on Friday even though Israel spared Iran's oil and gas on the first day of its attacks. Iran launched a fresh wave of ballistic missiles toward Israel on Saturday night, triggering air raid sirens in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and cities across northern Israel.
Explosions were heard shortly after as residents rushed to shelters, signaling successful strikes amid heightened regional tensions.
As per Israeli media, one Israeli woman was killed and dozens were injured in Israel’s Tamra, Lower Galilee, following an Iranian missile attack.
Press TV reported that Iran used Emad, Ghadr, and Khyber-Shaken missiles in the latest strikes on Israel.
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