Iran warns of attempts to target Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and ignite internal unrest.

Arab Sea Newspaper - Follow-ups

Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib warned of American and Israeli attempts targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei or aiming to incite chaos inside the country, according to local media. Khatib said, according to the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) on Saturday evening, that the Supreme Leader represents the "fundamental pillar" in the Iranian regime, adding: "Therefore, the enemies seek to target him and carry out actions that threaten the axis of unity." While the minister did not clarify whether his warnings were related to a specific incident or plan, talking about the security of the Supreme Leader is rare, despite the repeated official rhetoric about "foreign conspiracies" often attributed to the United States and Israel. This escalation comes in the context of the aftermath of the short Iranian-Israeli war that broke out last summer. On June 13, Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Iranian territory, leading to a 12-day war, in which the United States briefly participated by targeting three major Iranian nuclear facilities. On November 11, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian revealed that he feared the Supreme Leader would be assassinated during the war, saying in a video broadcast by official media: "I was not afraid for myself, but I was afraid that the Supreme Leader would be harmed, and that this would drag the country into internal division." Khamenei is 86 years old and has held the position of Supreme Leader since 1989, succeeding Ayatollah Khomeini, and holds the final decision on strategic files of the Islamic Republic. In recent years, statements have been issued by American and Israeli officials threatening to target him. During the war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ABC News that assassinating Khamenei "would not ignite the conflict, but would end it," while US President Donald Trump described killing the Supreme Leader as "an easy target," while stressing that Washington "will not do that, at least for now." Khamenei made no public appearances during the war period, and only delivered recorded speeches without the presence of other officials alongside him. He has also significantly reduced his public appearances since the ceasefire between Iran and Israel came into effect on June 24.