How Trump and Netanyahu could kill Khamenei
Iran's supreme leader has been moved to a highly secure location where he is under the protection of a top-secret elite unit, The Telegraph has learned.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has ruled Iran since 1989, has entrusted his survival to a previously unknown group of deeply vetted bodyguards, amid increasingly overt threats from Israel on his life, according to officials in Tehran.
Believing Israeli intelligence has comprehensively penetrated the regime, the unit was kept so secret that even senior officials within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were unaware of its existence.
'He's not hiding from death, he's not in a bunker,' said one Iranian official. 'But his life is in danger, and there is a unit responsible for his protection that no one even knew existed to avoid any chance of infiltration.'
Khamenei has long spoken of his impending 'martyrdom' and is believed to have expected that Israel would one day attempt to assassinate him. But the killing of at least 11 senior military officers and 14 nuclear scientists in targeted strikes since Israel launched hostilities a week ago has accentuated the risk.
Following a missile strike on a hospital in Beersheba on Thursday, the Israeli government has grown more explicit in its calls for Khamenei's death.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has refused to rule out an attempt to kill him, saying it ' could bring an end to the conflict '. His defence minister, Israel Katz, went further, calling him a 'modern Hitler' who 'cannot be allowed to continue existing'.
Although Donald Trump reportedly vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Khamenei, the US president has also adopted more threatening rhetoric in recent days, saying on Tuesday: 'We know exactly where the so-called 'supreme leader' is hiding.
Mr Trump added that the US had no plans to target Khamenei, 'at least not for now', but described him as an 'easy target' should he change his mind.
First job will be pinpointing Ayatollah's hideout
For either Israel or the United States to undertake a mission of such magnitude, they would first have to locate Khamenei.
Despite reports that regime officials were preparing to flee to Moscow, there is no evidence that Khamenei is planning to leave Iran. Few expect him to follow the example of Bashar al Assad, Syria's former leader — and a close ally — who escaped to Russia as his regime crumbled in December.
'He is in Iran and is not going anywhere,' the official said. 'He won't flee like the coward Assad. At a time of this foreign aggression, the nation's morale depends on his survival.'
The 86-year-old leader has traditionally lived and worked out of the Leadership House complex in Tehran's District 11. But his recent video appearances suggest he has changed location.
He now speaks against a brown curtain, sometimes adorned with a portrait of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution that toppled the Iranian monarchy in 1979. The setting differs markedly from the location of his usual briefings.
Video analysis suggests these briefings were filmed at the IRGC's media operations centre in central Tehran — indicating that he could be living nearby, or possibly beneath the building itself.
Given the recent spate of mysterious car bombings in Tehran and the death of so many colleagues, it is considered highly unlikely that Khamenei is travelling around the city by vehicle.
Mossad's long arm
Khamenei's precautions are understandable. Israeli intelligence has a long history of assassinations and kidnapping far beyond its shores, dating back to the abduction of Adolph Eichmann — a principal Nazi architect of the Holocaust — from Argentina in 1960.
The principle of 'rise and kill first', is deeply ingrained in Mossad's culture. It is not merely a military doctrine, but one with roots in religious teachings found in the Jewish Talmud.
Mossad, which rarely acknowledges its operations, has carried out assassinations in at least a dozen countries — including several in Europe — often with chilling ingenuity. In 1996, Yahya Ayyash, a Hamas bomb maker, was killed by an exploding mobile phone — a precursor of last year's detonating pagers and walkie-talkies that wounded thousands of Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon.
In earlier decades, the agency is believed to have used letter bombs to kill German nuclear scientists in Egypt, poisoned a Palestinian militant leader's toothpaste in East Germany and attempted to assassinate another by spraying nerve agent into his ear in Jordan.
Khamenei was reportedly deeply unnerved by the killing in 2020 of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the country's top nuclear scientist, with a remote-controlled killer robot.
Last year's assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, showed inventiveness of a different sort.
Although the full details remain unclear, it is believed that an explosive device was hidden in his flat — possibly inside a lavatory — weeks before he arrived in the country for the inauguration of Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran's president.
The leaking sieve
Such assassinations underscore the scale of Israeli infiltration into Iran's most secure circles.
No single killing is said to have shaken Khamenei more than that of Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, who died last year when Israel dropped 'bunker-buster' bombs on his subterranean headquarters beneath a Beirut tower block.
Khamenei was reportedly perturbed not just by the loss of a trusted ally and friend, but also by the suspected source of Israel's intelligence — it is believed the information in Nasrallah's whereabouts came not from within Hezbollah but from Tehran itself. Given the extreme sensitivity of such details, the leak must have come from someone with direct access to top-level information.
It is little wonder, then, that Khamenei is, in the words of Yaakov Amidror, Israel's former national security advisor, 'probably one of the most cautious people in the world.'
'He understands that he must be the next target,' Gen Amidror said. 'I am sure that he is moving from one place to another, trying to find a place where he feels comfortable.'
How and when to strike
Israel has almost certainly spent years gathering information on Khamenei's movements, using a blend of human, operational and artificial intelligence.
Mossad is likely to have attempted to embed agents within his inner circle by recruiting disillusioned officials, resentful guards, or even low-level staff with access to his quarters.
Signal intelligence would also be crucial. While Khamenei himself avoids electronic devices, the same cannot be said for those around him. Intercepted phone calls, emails and encrypted traffic would all be monitored by Israeli analysts.
Artificial intelligence systems would then process that data to identify probable locations and track patterns in his movements.
Once confirmed, a kill operation could then take many forms: a drone strike, a street-level assassination, or an air force attack. Special forces might even be deployed by helicopter, as in the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
'How we would do it depends on the intelligence,' said Gen Amridror. 'If he's in a bunker, you use the air force. If he's in an apartment, you use a drone. If he's in a car then you use an agent in the street.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
42 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Iranian state media use Lego to demonstrate attacks on Israel
Iranian state media has published a video featuring Lego characters launching destructive missile strikes on Israel. The clip, released by a news agency controlled by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard, shows Lego figures of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu speaking to the Devil before a barrage of missiles rains down on Israeli buildings and citizens. A Lego US president is also shown eating a burger while arguing with the Israeli prime minister. The video is the latest attempt at anti-Western propaganda from Tehran and depicts an Israeli flag burning while Lego figures in other Arabic countries celebrate. 'We're the ones who control the game,' a message at the end of the video says, which was published on social media by Fars, Iran's state-backed news agency. The clip has been published as part of an ongoing propaganda battle between Israel and Iran, as both countries attempt to win support from audiences on social media. Just days ago, an official Israeli government account shared a video on X showing Lego Mossad agents, missiles and warplanes blowing up Iran's nuclear facilities. An Israeli government X account said the video was 'presented by artificial intelligence ... clearly showcasing the precise planning and technological capabilities on the Israeli side'. خططوا لطوفان الأقصى وحصدوا طوفان #إيران. شاهد هذا الفيديو عملية #الأسد_الصاعد يقدمها الذكاء الإصطناعي بلا سردية مسموعة لكن بشكل واضح يستعرض فيها التخطيط الدقيق والقدرات التكنولوجية في الجانب الإسرائيلي والاستخبارات الممتازة التي فاجأت نظام الملالي ودمرت بسرعة هائلة اهداف عسكرية… — إسرائيل بالعربية (@IsraelArabic) June 15, 2025 Both Lego-themed videos were set to the theme song of 'Tehran', a popular Israeli television show about Mossad agents trying to stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb. It is not clear whether AI tools were used to create the videos. Lego has a long-standing anti-war stance. The company's 'product ideas' page, which encourages Lego fans to submit proposals for new sets, bans products related to 'warfare or war vehicles in any modern or present-day situation'. While some of its products feature potentially violent themes, such as the Star Wars universe or fantasy knights, it has steered clear of modern weapons. Opposed to 'glorifying conflicts' The Danish toy company has previously said that its products should 'not be associated with issues that glorify conflicts'. The Lego-inspired videos follow a flood of fake AI images and videos on social media since Israel's first strikes on Iran on June 12. This includes Iranian influencers widely sharing a fake image of a downed Israeli fighter jet, as well as hoax videos depicting bombed-out buildings with the caption 'Doomsday in Tel Aviv'. The Telegraph reported earlier this week that Israel has been targeting Western audiences with adverts on YouTube warning that Europe could be targeted by Iranian nuclear weapons.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Iran and Israel continue attacks as diplomatic talks fail
Iran and Israel traded daytime missile attacks on Friday, concluding a week of relentless bombing and escalating tensions. Iran 's foreign minister stated his country would not negotiate with the US as long as Israel continued airstrikes, maintaining Iran 's nuclear program is peaceful. Iranian ballistic missiles struck a building near Haifa, injuring at least 17 people, prompting a warning of revenge from Iran 's religious ruler, Ali Khamenei. Israel reported conducting multiple airstrikes on Iran, targeting industrial sites for missile manufacturing and a research agency linked to potential nuclear device development. Diplomatic talks in Geneva involving Iran, the EU, and the UK showed no breakthrough, with the UK urging Iran to engage in diplomacy with the US within a two-week window.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
I was KICKED OUT of Dubai and had my £3,000 glam holiday ruined over my face tattoos – despite being allowed in before
A HEAVILY-inked Brit has vowed to never return to Dubai after claiming he got kicked out for plastering his face in tattoos. Jordan Howman, 34, said he had his passport confiscated and was held by airport workers for six hours before being given the boot - ruining his £3,000 holiday. 4 4 The plasterer, from Crewe, Cheshire, covered his face in tattoos of geometric cubes and words including "blessed" and "crazy life" almost a decade ago. Jordan said his ink addiction hadn't caused him any issues during his previous two trips to his "favourite country in the world", the UAE. The dad told The Sun: "My missus has been crying her eyes out. "It has absolutely devastated me. I feel like I've been massively discriminated against. 'There's no law against face tattoos - there's nothing like that. "I'm a lovely lad, I get on with anyone. It's made me feel absolutely rubbish. I'm not allowed in a country because of the way I look. It's properly, massively affected me. 'It was my favourite country, but this has absolutely ruined it. Now I'll never go again. I've lost all of my money because of a pattern on my face.' Jordan landed at Dubai International Airport on Wednesday for a dream week-long holiday with his fiancée Theresa, 38, and daughter Kaic, 16. But he said as he ventured through passport control he was pulled to one side. After taking Jordan aside, the worker asked if he'd had his passport stamped before taking it from him. Moment hardcore anti tourist mob surround Brit tourists in Majorca chanting 'go home' & telling Brit ex-pats to 'go to hell' 'Then he snatched my passport out of my hand," Jordan said. "There had been nowhere to stamp it - we'd used the electronic gates. It was just an excuse to get the passport out of my hand.' After being held in a waiting room for more than four hours, Jordan was transferred to immigration at around midday, he said. By this time, his family had reached their five-star Anantara hotel. He called his partner and she got a taxi to the airport - but Jordan said airport staff refused to let her go to him and so she got a cab back, costing a total of £250. Jordan said he was "terrified" as he was not given his passport back for some time. 4 4 'A woman came and took me upstairs to immigration, where they said: 'He's not coming in because of his face tattoos - you're not coming in because of the way you look'," he claimed. 'One of the staff behind the desk said a more senior immigration officer made the decision, saying I was not to enter Dubai and that I must leave the country immediately.' At 2.30pm - six hours after arriving - Jordan was put on another Emirates flight heading back to the UK. 'They sent me on a flight back to Manchester," he said. "It was only when I landed that I got my passport back. "Friday morning was the first time I got to see my daughter, over Facetime.' The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai have been approached for comment. Dubai Airports was also contacted for a response. Dubai's tourist laws LAWS for tourists in Dubai are largely centred around respect for local customs and traditions. Swearing, loud music and public displays of affection are banned. Tourists must also observe Ramadan rules by refraining from eating or drinking publicly during fasting hours. Holidaymakers must also be careful when taking photos of individuals or sensitive sites. Visa regulations require a valid passport with six months minimum before it expires. Tourists must also have a return ticket, proof of accommodation, and sufficient funds. Overstaying your visa can lead to fines or deportation. Drinking alcohol is restricted in licensed venues and public intoxication is illegal. Dubai has strict drug laws, and certain medications require prior approval from UAE authorities. Unmarried couples sharing a room may face restrictions, although enforcement is relaxed in private hotels. Public indecency, such as inappropriate behaviour or clothing, is punishable.
