Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has weathered a series of challenges but Israel's unprecedented strikes mark his most serious crisis yet, threatening both the clerical system he leads and his own physical survival.

Israel launched “preemptive” strikes early Friday across Iran, amid growing regional tensions and concerns about Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

Trump in recent days pushed Israeli officials away from a plan to kill Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, unnamed U.S. officials told Reuters and the Associated Press. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes concerning the report.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during the 36th anniversary of the death of the leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, at Khomeini's shrine in southern Tehran, Iran June 4, 2025. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

An Israeli plan to assassinate Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as part of its military offensive targeting the country's nuclear program has been privately vetoed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu spoke after Trump earlier on Sunday called for a deal between the warring parties, saying “many calls and meetings” were now taking place that would lead to peace soon. “Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal,” he wrote on Truth Social.

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The U.S. was represented at the UN Security Council's emergency session on Friday by State Department Senior Bureau Official McCoy Pitt, who said the U.S. was advised by Israel that the actions carried out against Iran overnight were "necessary for its self-defense."

Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel are "over the skies of Tehran" and have killed Iran's intelligence chief. In response, Iran carries out its first-day time strikes into Israel.