Israel defence minister says Khamenei's death 'turning point'

'He led the campaign of destruction against the State of Israel, he built the entire axis of evil around us, and within Iran itself he pursued an uncompromising line against the State of Israel,' Katz said

  • PUBLISHED: Sun 1 Mar 2026, 5:10 PM

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Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that the killing of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, marked a "turning point" as his country waged a war with the Islamic republic.

"He led the campaign of destruction against the State of Israel, he built the entire axis of evil around us, and within Iran itself he pursued an uncompromising line against the State of Israel," Katz said, referring to Khamenei.

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"Therefore, his elimination is a turning point, along with many other senior and significant officials who were eliminated together with him," he said during a security assessment along with top military and security officials, according to a statement by his office.