Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz on Sunday warned Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that he could be personally targeted if Tehran continues to provoke the Jewish state.

Speaking from Ramon Air Force Base alongside Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Israel Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, Katz delivered a blunt message to the 86-year-old Iranian ruler, ratcheting up the already volatile tensions between the two nations.

“I want to send a clear message to the dictator Khamenei: If you continue to threaten Israel, our long hand will reach Tehran again — and with even greater force — and this time to you personally,” Katz said. “Don’t threaten, lest you get hurt.”

The visit came as Israel marked the conclusion of “Operation Rising Lion,” the 12-day offensive last month that saw Israeli jets cripple Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure, dealing a major military blow to the Islamic Republic.

Katz and Netanyahu hailed the IAF’s precision and performance during the strikes, which targeted key sites in Isfahan, Natanz, and Shiraz, and eliminated Iran’s chief of staff and senior Revolutionary Guard commanders.

“You opened the skies to Tehran,” Katz told IAF personnel, “and repeatedly hit the head of the Iranian octopus. You removed annihilationist threats against the State of Israel.”

The remarks come as Iran continues to frame the war as a strategic victory, despite overwhelming losses on the battlefield. Speaking on July 16, Khamenei claimed that Iran had “brought Israel to its knees” and forced the Jewish state to seek American assistance. Khamenei referenced “Operation Midnight Hammer” — the June 22 joint U.S.-Israeli strike that obliterated nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — as evidence of American desperation, not dominance.

Though Iran’s top military brass was decimated and its nuclear program set back years, Khamenei asserted that the Islamic Republic stood strong, describing the U.S. as “criminal” and Israel as “a cancer.”

Iran’s retaliatory strike — 14 missiles fired at the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — caused no injuries, with 13 intercepted and one falling harmlessly off course. Nevertheless, Tehran claimed the salvo was a “significant message” and hinted at future escalations.

“Once media censorship is lifted,” Khamenei said, “it will become clear how great a blow Iran delivered. Of course, even bigger blows could be dealt to the U.S. and others.”

Notably absent from public view during the height of the Israeli operation, Khamenei only reappeared on July 5, his silence fueling speculation about internal turmoil and concerns over his health. His first message — a pre-recorded video — cast Iran’s survival as a spiritual triumph and warned of dire consequences for any future aggression.

“Our country is strong and will never surrender,” he said. “We will exact a heavy price from anyone who threatens our sovereignty.”

In Washington, President Trump — who coordinated closely with Netanyahu during Operation Midnight Hammer — offered no immediate comment on the new threat, but previously vowed that “the ayatollahs will regret ever raising their hand against Israel or the United States.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)